


Serena's Family Reunion

by TheCartoonFanatic01



Series: AmourShipping Generations [2]
Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime)
Genre: AmourShipping Future, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, F/M, lots and lots of characters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-06
Updated: 2019-12-08
Packaged: 2021-01-24 01:51:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 27,361
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21330301
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheCartoonFanatic01/pseuds/TheCartoonFanatic01
Summary: Ash and Serena have been dating for months now, and life could never have been happier or easier. But now, there's only one thing left for them to do: go to Serena's family reunion and introduce Ash to the entire family. All 500-plus of them. Follow-up to "The Way We Will Be"! AmourShipping, Ash/Serena, SatoSere! R&R! COMPLETE!
Relationships: Calme | Calem/Sana | Shauna, Limone | Meyer/Saki | Grace, Satoshi | Ash Ketchum/Serena
Series: AmourShipping Generations [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1537699
Comments: 2
Kudos: 16





	1. To the Reunion We Go!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No, your eyes are not deceiving you; I am cross-posting another fanfic for "Pokémon". I ultimately decided to get back in on the swing of things by writing this little piece. It's not going to be terribly long like many of my other fics, and in fact, I intend for this to be a maximum of three chapters long. Three chapters and no more. That's how simple this project is going to be, at least for me.
> 
> And yes, in case the summary didn't properly indicate it to you, this fic IS set in the same universe as "The Way We Will Be". In fact, it's a sequel/prequel/midquel/spin-off/whatever of sorts. But don't worry, you guys, for this fic doesn't spoil anything that's going to happen in "The Way We Will Be". Everything that you'll find in this fic is stuff that you should've already known from "The Way We Will Be". If you've already read that fic so far but you still found something new here, then I suggest going back and rereading "The Way We Will Be" because there's absolutely NO SPOILERS HERE!
> 
> As for all of the original material that you'll find in this fic, it won't affect "The Way We Will Be" whatsoever. This fanfic is almost separate from "The Way We Will Be"; it's its own story, loosely speaking. There are only a few connections to the main story, as you'll see in a moment.
> 
> As for why I've chosen to write this kind of fic as opposed to any other kind of "Pokémon" fic, well, it's primarily meant to test the waters and gauge my current commitment to writing fanfiction for this realm. Plus, I've already written my first one-shot, so I might as well write my first fic where the number of chapters is in the single-digits. In a sense, I'm killing two birds with one stone!
> 
> Alright, I'm done with the explanations. Let's get on with the chapter! ENJOY!
> 
> Disclaimer: All forms of "Pokémon" DO NOT belong to me in any way! All rights of ownership automatically go to Satoshi Tajiri, Nintendo, Game Freak, and Pokémon Company International!

Ash stared at himself in the mirror and gulped loudly as he adjusted his new red-and-blue bow-tie. He had been looking at himself in the mirror for about ten seconds and he already hated how he looked.

He was never one for social gatherings on the sole basis that they were so miserably boring, straddling on the border of torture, even. They did not even have any incentive that would draw him in, namely Pokémon battles. As far as Ash was concerned, these kinds of gatherings were about remembering a myriad of names, learning new ones, wearing fancy and itchy new clothes, and chit-chatting mindlessly about topics that escaped his understanding.

This was an opinion that he dearly held for any kind of social gathering. But this was different. Totally, _totally_ different. It was a whole new battlefield for him. When he was invited to this occasion, a part of his mind desperately wanted him to drop everything and begin a new life as a hermit.

Of course, he couldn't do that. After all, he promised her he would come.

"Ash?"

The gentle knocking brought Ash back to reality. He turned around and blushed at what he saw.

"H-Hey, Serena..."

The honey-blonde walked up to Ash, but to him, she was gliding effortlessly in her gleaming pink dress. It didn't look too formal like a dress suited for balls, but it still would look perfect on a dance floor straight out of a fairy-tale. The fact that there was a faint presence of glitter sewn into the dress's fabric didn't help matters.

"W-Wow," Serena commented, blushing faintly at the sight of Ash's formal attire. "You look...g-great."

Ash cleared his throat and sheepishly scratched his cheek. "Y-You look great yourself, Serena," he replied.

Serena bit her lower lip lightly as she scanned the Pallet Town native from head to toe. She looked almost entranced by the sight of his clothing. After a few seconds of awkward silence, she snapped out of her reverie.

"Okay!" she cried, a little too stiffly. "Are you ready to go?! Clem and Bonnie are waiting."

"A-Almost..." Ash looked at his reflection again. "This bow-tie feels a little too tight, though..."

"Here, let me help you."

Serena walked up to his side and began attending to his bow-tie. Just then, she stopped abruptly and then withdrew her hands almost immediately.

"Your bow-tie's fine, Ash..." she said.

"Really?" He started fidgeting with it. "It feels like a Krabby's got its claw around my neck-"

"Your bow-tie's _fine_, Ash. _You_, on the other hand, don't look so good yourself."

"What're you talking about?" He tried to flash her his usual confident smile, but it faltered badly, and the corner of his lip was twitching. "I feel as fine as I can be!"

"No, you're not." Serena stared at him softly and sympathetically. "Ash...if you don't want to come, then just tell me-"

"I wanna come, Serena!" interrupted Ash. "I swear, I do!"

"You told me that for the past few weeks, but you can never keep a straight face whenever you tell me that. Every time. And you've been getting even more on edge with every passing day. Don't give me that look, Ash! Do you think I'm not watching you every day?"

"Well..." Ash tried to give her another smile. "It's good to know I've always got an angel watching over me."

Serena blushed a little and lightly punched his shoulder. "Stop it!"

"What?! I'm serious!"

"Ash, I'm serious too." The blush faded away from the honey-blonde's face as her eyes, as blue as the oceans, bore deep into Ash's blazing auburn eyes. "You know...we've been dating ever since the Double Battle Maison season ended. That's eight months and twenty-two days, Ash."

"Glad to know someone's been counting..."

"And during that time, you've never met my family, Ash. And I'm not talking about my mom or my aunt and uncle or my cousin. I'm talking about the whole family. All five-hundred-plus of 'em."

"Well...if I tried to meet all of 'em, I'd be a hundred by the time I get to know everyone's names." Ash sweat-dropped at the look Serena gave him. "I'm sorry, Serena. I wanna meet your family, I really do."

"Then why do I get the feeling you don't?" She gently placed her hands on his shoulders. "Look, I'm not mad if you don't want to. Trust me, you know how I feel about my family and these gatherings of ours."

Ash seemed to be sighing with relief as he spoke. "Yeah, well...I guess it comes with having a family so large that every person we meet every other week turns out to be a relative."

"So if you feel intimidated by my family, Ash, or if you feel like you can't come because you'll feel overwhelmed by all the numbers, then just tell me. I won't take it personally, I promise."

"But Serena, I _have_ to come! What kind of boyfriend would I be if I kept avoiding the entire family?! You say everyone's asking about me, right?"

"Yeah. They're all dying to meet you. I've even got a couple of aunts who are starting to doubt your existence already-"

Ash cupped Serena's cheeks with his palms. "Then I have to come, Serena. I don't care how big your family is. I need to show them I'm taking good care of you, and you're taking good care of me, and that we love each other and will keep on doing so till the end of time! I'll face this challenge head-on, no matter how tough it is, and expect nothing but victory!"

She smiled lovingly at him, and her body swooned a little at his speech.

"Oh, Ash..." she said. "Is there anything you're not afraid of?"

He smirked playfully. "You not cooking me my favorite dinner tonight."

She suddenly frowned. "One of these days, I'm gonna teach you how to cook, Ash Ketchum."

"Now _that's_ a challenge I'm gonna have to refuse."

"Oh, really?" A smirk of her own crept onto her face. "Then what if I put a reward on the table?"

"It depends. What's the reward?"

Serena leaned her head towards Ash's ear and whispered into it, her smirk widening with every word. The Trainer's face suddenly turned as red as a Tamato Berry, and a couple of beads of sweat were starting to develop on his forehead. The silent whispering lasted for several seconds, and as soon as Serena withdrew her head, the young man looked astounded beyond belief, and he was reduced to a poor, blubbering mess.

"I'll take that as a 'Challenge accepted'," Serena commented playfully.

* * *

"Oh, hey Ash! You ready to go?!"

"Pikapi!"

Ash and Serena approached the elevator, where they saw Clemont and Bonnie waiting for them. Both of them were clad in their own formal clothing and even Dedenne looked exceptionally groomed as he sat on Bonnie's left shoulder. As soon as Ash got close enough, Pikachu jumped off Clemont's shoulder and landed on his Trainer's.

"Well, can't say that I'm not," Ash replied, looking at Clemont.

"Wow, Ash!" Bonnie exclaimed. "You look really nice! Like a real gentleman!"

"Nenene!" squeaked Dedenne in agreement.

"Oh, thanks Bonnie." Ash looked down at his cardigan sweater. "Being gentlemanly isn't exactly my style, though..."

"Of course not, Ash," replied Clemont with a chuckle. "You look like you're ready to run out on us at any minute."

"Well, I can't afford to." The raven-haired Trainer regarded his friend. "How about you? Are you finished with Clembot?"

"Yep," the blond inventor said. "The updates I installed into him should be kicking in any moment now-"

_**"Hello, Clemont,"**_ a familiar voice suddenly greeted, echoing through the rooms and halls. _**"The update installations are one-hundred percent complete. I await your instructions."**_

"Good. Clembot, I request an elevator, please."

_ **"As you wish."** _

Within half of a minute, the dual doors slid open, revealing the elevator interior. The quartet stepped inside, allowing the doors to slide shut behind them. Clemont pressed the button to the ground floor, after which the elevator started moving downward.

"So," Serena remarked, "AI, huh?"

"Yeah!" Clemont replied, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "I reprogrammed Clembot's cognitive functions and installed an AI of my own design into his hardware. It has the same mindset as Clembot, only this time, it's also programmed into Prism Tower. Clembot now has access to all the technology that runs this place."

"And we all know the renovations that you put into Prism Tower," Ash said, his auburn eyes glimmering with childish awe. "It's so impressive, Clemont. Man, science is still so amazing!"

"Darn right, it is! Ask Clembot for anything and it will do it, without a hitch!" Clemont looked up at the small camera that had been surreptitiously watching the group. "Clembot, I would like a cup of orange juice, please!"

_ **"As you wish, Clemont."** _

A panel in the elevator wall opened up within seconds, and a robotic arm folded out of the surprisingly wide space within, holding a glass of...

"Uhhhhh, Clembot?" called Clemont, the inventor gazing at the camera again. "I asked for _orange_ juice, not _apple_ juice."

_ **"My deepest apologies, Clemont. I shall rectify this error right away."** _

Another panel in the wall opened up and a second robotic arm appeared holding a glass bottle of orange juice. But before Clemont could snatch it out of the arm's grasp, a smaller third robotic arm opened the bottle and poured its contents into the glass of apple juice.

"Wh-_What_?!" Clemont cried, his voice cracking as the mixture of juices starting overflowing from the glass and spilling all over the floor.

"Congratulations, Clemont," Bonnie deadpanned flatly. "Your brand spanking new Clembot AI just invented its own mix of orange and apple juice. Delicious."

"Nenene..." Dedenne said with disapproval.

"Well, at least his explosions aren't exploding on us like they used to," Serena said. "It's a start."

"A small, infinitesimal start at that..." Clemont replied glumly, as he snatched the bottle of orange juice out of the robotic hand.

* * *

_ **"You have arrived at the fifth floor."** _

"We're on the _ground_ floor, Clembot!"

_ **"I apologize for the mistake."** _

"I'm gonna have to take a look the update manual when I get back..."

Ash, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie stepped out of Prism Tower and were greeted with the sight of the bustling metropolis that was Lumiose City. As soon as they stepped outside, they spotted a black limousine waiting for them, along with...

"Calem!" Ash greeted.

"Oh, my Arceus, Shauna!" squealed Serena.

"Pika!" cried Pikachu.

The tan-skinned girl squealed back happily, and she sprung forth to hug her friend and rival. "I'm so, so glad to see you again, girl!" Shauna cried jubilantly. "You guys like _good_! And especially you, Bonnie!" She patted the smaller blonde girl on the head. "You're just such a cutie!"

"Thank you, Shauna!" Bonnie replied, her cheeks faintly blushing.

"Hey, how was Galar? Did the two of you take photos?"

"Yep," Ash replied with a smile, as he shook Calem's hand. "Serena wouldn't stop hogging the camera."

"We'll show you the photos on the way!" added Serena, eliciting another excited squeal from the tan Performer.

"Oh, no!" exclaimed Calem, shaking his head with disapproval as he got finished shaking Clemont's hand. "Shauna and I were planning on flying over there for the summer! I for one don't want any spoilers on what we might find there!"

"Well, I for one disagree, hon," Shauna said, glaring at Calem with a pout.

"Aw, come on! You know as well as I do that it'd be more exciting if we didn't know what we'd be seeing once our plane lands!"

"Alright, alright," interjected Serena, standing between her cousin and her best friend, "I think we can discuss that some other time. Right now, I just wanna talk about _the freaking limo you guys apparently brought_!"

"I know, it's amazing, huh?!" Shauna looked at Serena with another grin. "Well, don't just stand there! Come on in, come on in!"

Calem and Shauna parted to give Ash, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie some space. One by one, they went inside the limo and were astounded by the interior. There were dark-brown seats of leather, scarlet velvet curtains drawn to obscure the tinted windows, and cup holders holding glasses of wine and juice.

"Oh, my _gosh_, Shauna!" Bonnie cried as she scanned the interior with her blue eyes. "I can't believe you got this for us!"

"Nenene!" Dedenne squeaked.

"Pikachu!" added Pikachu.

"I _knew_ you guys would like it!" replied Shauna, her voice radiating absolute pride. "Calem thought you wouldn't be into flashy stuff, but I believed otherwise!" She looked at Calem knowingly as he was the last one to board the vehicle. "And it seems like I was right _again_."

"You know," Calem said with a defeated frown, "it's a good thing Uncle Dawson's paying for this. There's no way in hell I am gonna pay with the money in my pocket! No way!"

"Whoa, whoa, wait a sec," Serena replied, her eyebrow arched. "_Uncle Dawson_ paid for this?!"

"Who else in our family could afford this, Serena? Not me, that's for sure." Then, his eyes lit up with remembrance. "Oh, I almost forgot! He said it was all for you and, I quote, 'that special guy of yours'."

Serena gasped with wonder, while Ash blushed in embarrassment and lowered his head slightly. Meanwhile, Shauna went to the tinted window separating the six from the driver's seat and knocked on it thrice. It instantly rolled down, revealing a trio of familiar faces. Ash, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie all frowned with disappointment at the chauffeurs.

"Shall we get going, twer- I mean, _Shauna_?" asked the driver, a blue-haired man.

"Yes, Ja- I mean, driver that I've never met before in my entire life," Shauna replied sarcastically. "Drive us to Aquacorde Town!"

"We're on it!" cried an exceptionally short, stout man who resembled a Meowth more than a human. "Step on da brakes, James! ...I-I mean, Jame_son_!"

The window quickly rolled back up, leaving the group of six in their own personal space again.

"Pika..." Pikachu grumbled disapprovingly.

"Was that-?" Serena asked flatly.

"Who else?" Shauna interrupted before the honey-blonde even had a chance to finish. "Just play it cool, guys. They don't know Calem and I are already onto them. We're actually trying to make a bet on them right now."

"Ooh, a bet!" Bonnie replied, her baby-blue eyes sparkling with interest. "I want in!"

"Nenene!" added Dedenne.

"What kind of bet are we talking about?" Ash asked.

"How long Team Rocket can go without trying to steal Pikachu. I bet twenty Poké Dollars they'll wait until the toast."

"Wait until the main event, huh?" replied Clemont. "That sounds just like Team Rocket."

"Nah," Calem said in response. "They're definitely gonna strike when they see the new Pokémon Auntie Emilia has."

"Twenty bucks says otherwise, hon," said Shauna. "You know how dramatic Team Rocket tries to be. They'll make a show out of their appearance, just you wait and see."

"Oh, you're on, babe. But I'm bettin' they're overhearing this conversation right now and scheming a way to steal Auntie Emilia's Pokémon."

"Wait, so Auntie Emilia has a new Pokémon?" Serena asked, her curiosity piqued.

"More like a whole collection of them, cuz. She inherited them from an older friend of hers in Alola."

"Ooh! Alola, huh? Do you know what they are?"

"No one in the family has got a clue. Some have said it's an Alolan variant; others have said it's a native species; heck, I heard Cousin Dill say it could be an Ultra Beast."

"Ahhhhh, a mystery Pokémon, huh? I bet you're on the edge of your seat, wondering what that Pokémon could be, right Ash?" Serena looked at Ash, only to see him sweating. "A-_Ash_?"

"H-Huh?" Ash looked at her and then wiped the sweat away from his forehead. "Ye-Yeah, Serena! I'm-I'm _totally_ looking forward to seeing w-what kind of Pokémon your Auntie Emilia has!"

"Pikapi...?" Pikachu asked cautiously, looking up at his Trainer and longtime friend with concern.

"Ash," Serena said, "are you alright?"

"Huh?" Ash stared at her with a perplexed look, and then he gave her a confident smile. "Y-Yeah, I'm fine, Serena! I was, uh, thinking about what kind of Pokémon your Auntie Emilia might have! The mystery behind its identity is exciting!"

But the honey-blonde continued to stare at her boyfriend. _"No," _she thought._ "You're not thinking about that."_

** _"Then I have to come, Serena. I don't care how big your family is. I need to show them I'm taking good care of you, and you're taking good care of me, and that we love each other and will keep on doing so till the end of time! I'll face this challenge head-on, no matter how tough it is, and expect nothing but victory!"_ **

Serena's brow became furrowed with concern, but she did not speak at all. Instead, she watched as Ash joined in on the conversation, animatedly taking Calem's side as he started debating with Shauna.

_"Oh, Ash... You don't have to force yourself to meet my entire family. You don't have to do all of this just for me..."_

* * *

"Hey, Grace! When's little Rena coming again?"

Grace let out a deep breath as she gently placed the dishes in the sink. Then, the former Rhyhorn racer glanced over her shoulder to look at the older gentleman with the thick gray mustache, clad in a wool brown suit.

"Shauna just texted me, Dawson," she replied. "Their limo will be arriving in another fifteen minutes or so."

"Or so," repeated the man. "It'd better be fifteen minutes. I'm not paying that company to be late by even a minute! No, sir! Good ole Dawson doesn't have the patience for that!"

The older man walked away, still talking loudly to himself like he was already senile. As soon as he was out of her sights, Grace immensely relieved. Then, she refocused on the still-dirty dishes, all the while ignoring the loud, celebratory music that echoed throughout the house.

"Auntie Grace, Auntie Grace!" two voices squealed at the same time.

Grace felt two hands tugging at her skirt. She held back a frustrated sigh before looking down at the two girls beside her. They were identical in appearance, sporting blue eyes and dark-blue hair tied in single buns, and wearing green dresses. A Spritzee was perched on the shoulder of the girl on the left, while a Swirlix was tucked safely in the arms of the girl on the right.

"Yes, Faith, Joy?" the former jockey asked with the sweetest smile she could muster.

"When's Serena coming?!" cried the girl with the Spritzee.

"Yeah!" exclaimed the girl holding the Swirlix. "We wanna play with her!"

"Well, I told your Uncle Dawson that she'll be arriving soon-" Grace began.

"But we're _bored_, Auntie Grace!" interrupted the girl with the Spritzee.

"Yeah!" added the girl holding the Swirlix. "We wanna play with Serena!"

"Well, why don't you go play with your other cousins?"

"But they're so _boring_!" replied the girl with the Spritzee.

"Now that's not a very nice thing to say, Faith-"

"They keep talking about Pokémon battles!" moaned the girl holding the Swirlix. "And I don't wanna talk about battles!"

"I wanna play Pokémon Showcases with Serena!" the other girl exclaimed.

"Hey, Grace!" another voice called. Grace looked up and saw a woman with dark-moss-green hair approaching her from behind the sink.

"Yes, Lulu?" Grace replied.

"Have you seen Marill anywhere?" Lulu asked. "I lost sight of her five minutes ago."

"She's probably run off with your Elekid, dear. I'd check the roof-"

"I did, Grace. I checked every inch of it, and I didn't see any sign of them. I didn't even see Elekid near the satellite."

"Auntie Grace?" Faith asked, but Grace ignored her.

"Go ask Cliff, sweetie. He's the person to go to for that kind of thing."

Lulu crossed her arms. "I would if he wasn't so busy flirting with Priscilla."

"Auntie Grace!" Faith's sister called, but Grace ignored her as well.

"Just go ask him, dear. I'm kinda in the middle of something right now. I'm so sorry."

"O-Okay..."

With that, Lulu left, leaving Grace with the twins. She looked down and smiled at them sweetly again.

"Faith, Joy," the former jockey said, "just go ask your Uncle Dawson if there's a playroom you two can play in. This house is very big, so I think there's a room just for you two-"

"But we wanna play with Serena..." Joy said dejectedly.

"Ohhhh, _there_ you are!" a new voice cried. Grace heaved out a sigh of immense relief as Layla rushed into the room and took both girls in her arms. "What'd I tell you two? Don't leave Daddy all alone, alright? He was very worried about you!"

"But we were just with Auntie Grace, Mommy," Faith replied.

"Well it's good that you and your sister went over to her instead of a stranger, but sweetie, you should ask Daddy to take you to her next time. And as you can see, your Auntie Grace is a bit busy right now."

"Hey, Layle!" another voice shouted. Grace and Layla saw a middle-aged, brown-haired man wearing a hat poke his head through the nearby doorway.

"Yes, Carlton?" Layla asked.

"Natasha's Sceptile and Rhoder's Haxorus are getting into a squabble for some reason. Do you know where Elisa is? Her Meganium's Sweet Scent is the only thing that can calm both down."

"I saw her at the edge of the field with Hal. But what about the Joys? Can't any of their Pokémon step in?"

"Natasha and Rhoder told me their Pokémon respond best to Sweet Scent. Anything else and they can snap out of it and get back to business."

"Okay. Go, go, go! Dawson's not gonna like it if the backyard is trashed."

Carlton nodded and withdrew his head. Once he was gone, Grace sighed with irritation and resumed washing the dishes.

"Why do these reunions have to be so Arceus-da-darn hectic?" she asked exasperatedly. "This has to be the twelfth time someone's come up to me for help in a dilemma that I have absolutely no context for."

"The perks of having a humongous family," Layla replied.

"Mommy?" Joy asked.

The younger woman looked at her daughter. "Yes, sweetie?"

"When's Serena coming? We wanna play with her."

"Well, I'm sure Auntie Grace already answered your question."

"But we're _bored_..." Faith replied before she yawned loudly.

"Then I'll play with you two while you wait! Come on, let's go find an empty space, just for the three of us."

She walked away with her twins tucked safely in her arms. As she stepped through the doorway, Layla took a quick peek over her shoulder, just in time to see Grace mouthing "Thank you" to her. Layla nodded fleetingly before leaving.

Silence took over the room again, allowing Grace to wash her dishes in peace.

_"Oh, thank Arceus..."_ she thought. _"Anymore of this pestering and I'm gonna flip out-"_

"Hey, sweetie-" yet another new voice began.

"Oh, for heaven's sake!" Grace snapped furiously as she slammed the latest plate back into the sink, nearly breaking it. "What part of 'I'm busy right now' don't you guys understand?!"

"Whoa, whoa, _chill_, Grace!" the new arrival cried. "It's just me!"

Upon seeing him, the woman sighed with relief. "Oh Arceus, I'm sorry, Meyer..."

She turned away, ignoring the concerned look that entered Meyer's face. The electrician sighed softly and then placed his hands over Grace's shoulders, rubbing them intently. The former jockey felt the tenseness in her body washing away like a receding tide.

"Hey," the electrician said, "keep your cool. Remember, go for broke."

Grace rolled her eyes. "Really? Using my own advice? Even if this reunion is _completely_ unrelated to Rhyhorn racing?"

"Heh heh. Well, I gotta try _something_!" Then, the laid-back smile faded from Meyer's face. "I know how hard it is having to arrange this party, honey. Accommodating such a big family can be quite a task. Trust me, I know."

The jockey scoffed lightly. "How do you know? You are an only child, and all of your first wife's relatives have been dead for a long time."

Meyer stared at her, affronted. "Uhhhhh...because _your_ family is _my_ family too, that's why..."

"O-Oh." The woman blushed a little before she resumed washing the dishes. "W-Well, I'm surprised you've accepted my family this quickly, Meyer."

"Hey, they're your in-laws, and they've all taken me in as one of their own. I need to return their generosity, should I?"

"Well, you don't have to go the extra mile. You're only gonna be seeing ninety-nine percent of them once a year, and the chances of you remembering everyone's names is extremely low anyway, so-"

"Well, I don't care." Meyer rested his chin on her shoulder and started nuzzling her cheek with a cheesy grin. "I love 'em because I love you."

Grace's blush deepened, but she tried to maintain her cool, stubborn facade. "Shut up, you melodramatic prick. You think your charm is enough to reel me in?"

Using his thumb and index finger, Meyer gently clasped his wife's chin and turned her face towards his own.

"You tell me."

It was too much for Grace to bear. She started to lean her face in towards his, and their lips were so close to touching. It was almost magical for the both of them...but unfortunately, a soft ringing melody echoed through the expansive house, startling them both. Their faces jerked away from one another, and Grace cleared her throat.

"That must be Rhyanna and Mitchell," she said. "Go get the door, Meyer, quick!"

"On it!"

With that, the brawny electrician rushed off, leaving Grace to the dishes again. As she scrubbed away, she could hear the front door opening, followed by Meyer jubilantly greeting the two siblings, along with someone named Melodi. As soon as she heard Mitchell introduce the newcomer as his girlfriend, she couldn't help but chuckle dryly.

_"As if this family couldn't get any bigger,"_ she thought. Then, she looked up at one of the ceiling windows, her eyebrows furrowed with concern. _"I wonder how Serena is gonna integrate Ash into all of this?"_

* * *

"Ash? Hey, Ash! ASH!"

Serena's voice pulled the raven-haired Trainer back to reality. He shook his head to clear his thoughts and then looked at his girlfriend inquisitively.

"Y-Yeah?" he replied.

Serena blinked. "We're here."

"Oh." Then, his eyes widened slightly. "O-_Oh_!"

He quickly followed her out of the limousine and found Clemont, Bonnie, Shauna, and Calem already waiting for him. The quartet wasn't looking directly at him, however. Instead, they were looking over his shoulders at something else.

"Okay, guys!" Ash declared, giving them the most confident smile he could muster. "So, where's the house?"

"Ahem..."

Ash looked at Serena. "Yes, Serena?"

Then, he realized the Performer was pointing to his right. "Right behind you..." she replied.

Ash followed her index finger and saw, to his absolute shock, the house where his girlfriend's entire family was slated to be celebrating in. It was a nice-looking three-story mansion that didn't look too terribly big, but it was sitting right in the middle of a tall, imposing fence covered almost entirely with shrubbery. Magnificent groves were growing right behind it, and there wasn't another building to be seen in yards, giving off the impression that there was a lot more land that Ash wasn't able to see yet.

"_That's_ the place your Uncle Dawson rented out?!" the Trainer exclaimed with disbelief.

"Pika?!" Pikachu added as the Mouse Pokémon continued to stare with awe.

"Well, you _did_ hear my comments on his wealth about a few dozen times already. I'm honestly surprised he didn't rent a bigger property for this occasion. I wonder how the whole family is gonna hold up, being cramped in there?"

Ash looked at Serena with shock. "You mean this place isn't gonna be big enough to hold your entire family?!"

"Well, it honestly looks like it." Then, the Performer looked at her boyfriend, suspicion filling her face. "Why do you ask?"

He gulped subtly and replied, "Oh, it's-it's nothing, Serena! I-I was just a-a little a-amazed, th-that's all! B-By the size of this place, of course!"

Serena stared at him for a moment. Then, she crossed her arms with suspicion.

"Okay, Ash," she said. "Tell me, what's wrong?"

Ash looked back at her, affronted. "Wh-What're you talking about, Serena?! I'm fine! A-Actually, I'm more than fine! I'm pumped, actually! Th-That's why I was sweating. 'Cause I can't wait to meet your..." He suddenly cleared his throat and readjusted his bow-tie. "F-Fa-Family..."

"It doesn't sound like you're anticipating it at all, though..." Calem suddenly replied. He leaned in a little, the expression on his face one of sympathy. "If you're nervous, I feel you, man. These family reunions of ours can overwhelm anyone in the world, even the world's greatest aspiring Pokémon Master and thirty-time savior."

Ash chuckled, but his laugh was slightly hollow. "Forty-two times, actually..."

"Are you telling me you _counted_, Ash?" Clemont asked, perplexed.

"Look, it doesn't matter," Calem said, before Ash could give the inventor a response. "The point is you shouldn't have to worry when you're preparing for these reunions, Ash. Yes, there's gonna be a lot of people there, but that doesn't mean you have to memorize everyone's names. Serena and I will help you out with that, but you're not required to remember them all. I don't even know if _anyone_ in our family knows _everyone's_ names."

"Yeah, Ash," replied Serena. "If memorization is the problem, then I'm happy to help you out."

"Look, I'm fine, alright?!" Ash snapped irritably. "I _want_ your family, Serena, I really do!"

"Then what's gotten you all rattled, Ash?!"

"Pika-pika, Pikapi!" Pikachu added angrily. The Mouse Pokémon was nodding his head.

"It's-It's..." Finally, Ash collapsed against the limousine, and his entire face broke out with sweat. "I'm...I'm just worried if..."

His voice trailed off, prompting Serena to ask, "_If_...?"

"...If they'll _like_ me..."

...

...

...

"_Really_?" Serena asked incredulously. "_That's_ what you've been worried about all this time?"

"Why didn't you just ask earlier, Ash...?" Clemont asked in disbelief.

"I...I felt like it was such a stupid little thing to worry over-"

"_No_, Ash!" exclaimed Serena as she embraced her boyfriend. "That's a _perfectly_ natural thing to be worried about!"

"Oh... Well, gee... Sorry for worrying you, then..."

"_You_ should be apologizing for getting all worked up for nothing, Ash!"

Ash arched an eyebrow. "Huh?"

"Ash, I have a _big_ family. So what if some of them don't like you by the end of the day? You can't _possibly_ be expecting to win over _everyone's_ hearts within a span of, what, eight, nine hours?"

"Ten," corrected Calem.

"Look, Serena," Ash said, "if even one person in your family doesn't like me, just _one person_, it's just gonna make all of the future family reunions so awkward and tense. I don't want that kind of pressure hanging over you for the rest of our lives! No, I want to try and make everyone like me!"

"You getting every last member of my extended family to like you is an admirable goal, sweetie," replied Serena, "but do not worry about it. If someone doesn't like you, let me deal with them-"

"No, Serena! I might be a part of that family someday, so the responsibility of dealing with disapproving relatives is mine just as much as it is yours!"

Without warning, Ash started marching towards the house, startling the others. Clemont and Bonnie followed behind him while Serena, Shauna, and Calem watched with flabbergasted looks.

"I'm gonna start right away, Serena!" the raven-haired Trainer declared before facing the rental manor. "Screw all of my fears! I'm gonna face this challenge head-on!"

"W-W-Wa-Wait a minute, Ash!" called Serena. "Ash, wait!" But once it was clear that her boyfriend was persistent on his commitment, she sighed and shook her head. "That's my Ash alright. Always treating everything like a challenge."

"Not to mention always wanting to be friends with everyone," Shauna added.

"It's a little annoying, but...to be honest, it couldn't have asked for a better boyfriend."

Serena and Shauna started walking towards the house, while Calem patted the roof of the limousine twice, signaling the so-called chauffeur to start driving away. As for Ash, Clemont, and Bonnie, they approached the front door and rang the doorbell.

"Pikapi, pika-pikapi-chupi-pika?" Pikachu asked.

"I'm fine, Pikachu," Ash replied. "I swear, I really am." He wiped the remaining beads of sweat from his cooling face. "I'm sorry I got you worried as well, but rest assured, I'm prepared for this."

At that moment, the door swung open quickly to reveal an older gentleman with a thick gray mustache who was wearing an expensive-looking wool brown suit.

"You're not the deliverymen..." he said gruffly.

Ash gulped audibly. _"Okay..."_ he thought. _"This is gonna be...a little scarier than I was expecting..."_

"Uncle Dawson!" a voice squealed.

"Huh?" The gentleman squinted his eyes. "Rena? Is that you?"

Serena enveloped the man in a hug, and her jubilant, energetic expression was unmistakable. "Ohhhhhh, Uncle Dawson, it's so great to see you again!"

"Oh!" Dawson's eyes widened with surprise. "Ohhh, Rena! My, my, those chauffeurs work quicker than I expected!" With that, he broke the hug and looked at Serena from head to toe. "Oh, those darn television sets don't do you justice at all! You look even more breathtaking in person, as you always have been!" Then, he noticed Calem. "And you, Calem! Come here, you whippersnapper, you!"

"Uhhh, g-gee, thanks Uncle Dawson..." Calem replied, taken aback a little as he was embraced by the older man.

"Ohhhhh, it's so great to have the golden children of this family here, in this timely occasion of ours!" As soon as Dawson broke the hug, he noticed Shauna next. "And you, my dear Shauna, are once again a sight to behold! Oh, my wife would have _loved_ to inspect that dress you're wearing! Truly astonishing!"

"Ohhh, th-thank you, Uncle Dawson..." said Shauna as she blushed. The blush deepened even further when Dawson took her hand and kissed it lightly.

"Um, Uncle Dawson?" Clemont piped up, waving awkwardly. "Re-Remember us...?"

Dawson faced them. "Ah, yes! Who could forget your faces?! You're Meyer's kids! Bonnie and, uh...um, Damont!"

Clemont hung his head somberly. "Close enough..."

"Yes, it's so good to see you two bright and lovely souls again! And you too, Dedenne!"

"Nenene!" Dedenne squeaked excitedly as he received a stroke to the tail from the older man.

"Well, then!" exclaimed Dawson. "Now that everyone is here, I must escort you all to the kitchen! I must say, it is a _very_ marvelous work! One of the finest marbles used in-"

"Uh, e-excuse me, sir?" Ash called, catching Dawson's attention. "I'm-I'm a guest at this party too."

"Hm?" Dawson looked legitimately confused. "Say what now?"

Ash blinked with perplexity. He was about to repeat what he had just said when Serena stepped in for him.

"Uncle Dawson," she said, "this is my boyfriend, Ash Ketchum. The one I've been telling you about for months."

"Huh?" Dawson still looked confused. "Bashing Ketchup?"

"N-No, sir," Ash replied, dumbfounded. "I-It's _Ash Ketchum_."

"Ashton Ketchup, huh?" The older man shook his head with apparent sympathy. "A little word of advice, kid: have a talk with your parents about that last name of yours."

"It's..." Then, Ash hung his head with defeat. "Oh, never mind."

"Hey, Ash!" a voice suddenly called, prompting the Pallet Town native to look towards the hallway leading to the kitchen. Then, he smiled and waved.

"Hi, Meyer!" he greeted. "How're you- OOF!"

The electrician nearly knocked him over while hugging him. "I'm so glad you could make it!" he exclaimed heartily while ruffling Ash's hair, making it even more unkempt than usual. "Oh, how's my future son-in-law today?!"

"I'm-I'm fine, thank you very much..."

Meanwhile, Grace entered the room as well, carrying a pot full of steaming spaghetti with her gloved hands. She smiled upon seeing Serena, Ash, and all of their friends.

"Serena, honey!" the former jockey greeted. "How was the trip to Galar?"

"It was great, Mom," replied Serena. "I'll show you all the photos we took later on." Then, she looked over her mother's shoulder expectantly. "Now then, where's-"

"IT'S SERENA!" two young voices cried simultaneously. Before the honey-blonde could react, Faith and Joy sprinted into the room and hugged her legs tightly.

"Hi, Serena!" Faith cried.

"We missed you so much, Serena!" added Joy.

"Ohhh, I missed you guys too," Serena replied while stroking their heads. At that moment, Faith's Spritzee appeared and started flying circles directly over her head, while Joy's Swirlix perched itself atop her right shoulder. "You guys too."

"Let's play Pokémon Showcases, Serena!" Faith and Joy squealed at the same time while grabbing their cousin's hands.

Serena sweat-dropped with surprise. "A-Already? But I just got here-"

The two girls looked up at her with the most adorable expressions known to man. "_Pleeeeeaaaaase_?"

Ash could tell his girlfriend was struggling to contain a squeal of giddiness. "Ohhhhh, alright! But just one round, okay? I gotta meet all your aunts and uncles after this-"

"HOORAY! POKEMON SHOWCASE TIME! POKEMON SHOWCASE TIME!"

With that, the twins dragged Serena away from the front door, and the trio passed Layla and Moose as they left.

"Hi, Auntie Layla, Uncle Moose!" Serena greeted quickly as she went out of sight.

"H-Hi, Sere-" began Layla, but before she could finish, Serena was already dragged into another room by her daughters. After a minute of processing, the woman turned towards Ash and the others. "Those two... They worship the very ground Serena walks on. They couldn't _wait_ to play with her."

"Obviously..." remarked Bonnie.

"Nenene," squeaked Dedenne.

"Anyway, it's good to see you again, Ash." Layla scanned the raven-haired Trainer from head to toe. "I see you're growin' quite nicely. I do hope you're not giving my niece a hard time."

"Actually," Ash replied sheepishly, "_Serena's_ the one who's giving me a hard time, Layla. Especially whenever shopping's concerned."

"As it should be," Shauna commented slyly while she lightly elbowed Calem in the side.

"You don't have to remind me, hon..." replied a glum Calem.

"Anyway," Grace said, looking back and forth between Ash and Dawson, "I see you've met Dawson, Ash?"

"Yeah, pretty much..." Ash replied hesitantly.

"Yes, I've been introduced to Ashton," Dawson commented.

The raven-haired Trainer glared at the older man with slight irritation. "It's just Ash, sir. _Ash_, not Ashton."

"Pika..." Pikachu added disapprovingly.

Dawson apparently ignored Ash while giving the Trainer a quick body scan, and his brow was noticeably furrowed. "To be perfectly frank," he said, "I was expecting more of a _respectable_ man..."

"_Excuse me_?" Ash asked, his anger barely restrained.

Calem's and Shauna's eyebrows shot up with worry. "Oh, boy..." Calem whispered.

"I mean," continued Dawson, "what with all the stuff Serena has been saying about her boyfriend, I expected..._more_...I suppose..."

Ash's auburn eyes widened with alarm, and everyone gave him concerned stares. The only exception was Dawson, who was still examining the Pallet Town Trainer's body, like an art critic examining a painting. A tense, awkward silence swept over the room, one that persisted for a few moments before Grace finally decided to break it by grabbing Ash's arm.

"Um, why don't I introduce you to the rest of the family, Ash?" she asked. Then, she leaned into Ash's ear and whispered subtly, "Don't worry about Dawson, honey. He's been losing his touch lately."

"Oh, really?" Ash whispered back nervously. "I expected _more_? D'you have any idea how _awful_ that sounds? D'you have any idea how _doomed_ I am?"

"Look, everyone else will love you, I promise. Just come and meet them. They're in the backyard waiting for us."

"Meeting the rest of this humongous family and making a bad first impression." Ash sighed as he followed Grace into the kitchen. "This is _exactly_ what I was afraid of..."

"Pika..." Pikachu replied sympathetically.

* * *

"Dere dey go!" Meowth exclaimed as he watched Ash, Serena, Clemont, Bonnie, Calem, and Shauna approach the front door of the rental manor. "It's time ta get dis twoip party started!"

"Ooh, I can't wait to see what kind of mystery Pokémon this Auntie Emilia character has!" replied James as he continued driving the limousine away. "What do you think it could be?!"

"I hope it's one of those pretty Alolan forms!" Jessie squealed, her eyes shimmering wonderfully. "Those ones are always the most exotic! A perfect fit for the Boss's tastes!"

"_I_ hope it's an Ultra Beast! They're very powerful and _very_ rare! The Boss would be lining his _pockets_ to get his hands on one of those!"

But Jessie glared at her teammate with disapproval. "You idiot! How in the world do you think this Emilia woman could've gotten her hands on one of the Ultra Beasts?! Didn't you remember our time in Alola?!"

"W-Well, she could've been working for the Aether Foundation!"

Jessie crossed her arms. "If she worked for the Aether Foundation, we would've seen her there."

James blinked with surprise. "Oh yeah, that's right..." Then, he slammed his fist into his palm. "Doesn't matter! I am still willing to bet it's an Ultra Beast! The Boss wants powerful and rare Pokémon!"

"No, the Boss wants beautiful and exotic Pokémon! You totally misunderstand the Boss's tastes-"

She was cut off when James stepped on the brakes hard, and the limousine lurched to an abrupt stop.

"I do NOT!" The blue-haired man stuck out his chin selfishly. "I heard it from him myself! Power and rarity are where the money's at!"

"No, I heard him say it was _beauty_ and _exoticism_!"

"Power and rarity!"

"Beauty and exoticism!"

"_Power and rarity_!"

"_Beauty and exoticism_!"

"**_Power and rarity_**!"

"**_Beauty and exoticism_**!"

"WILL YA SHUT YER TRAPS?!"

Without warning, Meowth used Fury Swipes, slashing the faces of both of his teammates. Jessie and James screamed in agony, with the former pulling out a hand mirror to check on her face. With a huff, Meowth hopped on the dashboard and faced Jessie and James.

"It doesn't _matter_ if da mystery Pokémon is an Alolan form an Ultra Beast!" he proclaimed. "All dat matters is dat we find dis Emilia person, find out what kinda Pokémon she has, and capture it for da Boss! Stick up yer chins, guys! We're Team Rocket, and we're none da wiser! Just tink about it! If we do dis, we'll be rewarded!"

"_Rewarded_?" Jessie and James asked at the same time.

"Yeah! Just tink! The highest of promotions!"

Jessie and James started to understand what Meowth was getting at.

"Fame and prominence!" Jessie gushed.

"Riches beyond belief!" cried James in exultation.

"We'll be feared throughout ta woyld and all of Team Rocket!"

Jessie's eyes shimmered again. "Oooooh, I like the sound of all that..."

"Well, we won't get dose riches if we keep arguing and yapping like a bunch of rowdy Houndour! We stick togeda on dis, we deliver to da Boss! And when we deliver to da Boss, we get rewarded!"

"Can't argue with that..." James replied, smiling.

"Den what're we waitin' for?!" Meowth opened the glove compartment and procured a pair of advanced binoculars. "We don't have a moment left ta lose! Let's check out dis party and find Pokémon ta steal!"

"YEAH!" Jessie and James shouted. They shot their fists high up in the air...only for their knuckles to hit the ceiling hard. "**OW**!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that marks the end of this chapter! Don't worry, there's still more to come! And you'll be able to meet more of Serena's extended family in the next chapter. Trust me, there will be a bunch of familiar faces.
> 
> In fact, there are actually a whole bunch of familiar faces that were already seen and mentioned in this chapter:
> 
> -Lulu appeared in the Sinnoh episode "Three Sides to Every Story!", where her Elekid and Dawn's Piplup competed with each other for the feelings of her Marill.
> 
> -Cliff appeared in the Unova episode "The Beartic Mountain Feud!"; he is the Mountain Patrolman that helped Ash and his friends deal with the Beartic.
> 
> -Priscilla, or rather Miss Priscilla, appeared in the Johto episode "A Bout With Sprout", where she taught children at Earl's Pokémon Academy.
> 
> -Carlton appeared in the Unova episode "Searching for a Wish", which featured Jirachi.
> 
> -Natasha appeared in the Hoenn episode "What You Seed is What You Get"; she is "The Melon Master" who took care of her own watermelon patch.
> 
> -Rhoder appeared in the Unova episode "Team Plasma's Pokémon Manipulation"; that was where his Haxorus was one of the Pokémon that were mind-controlled by Team Plasma.
> 
> -Elisa and Hal both appeared in the Hoenn episode "Beg, Burrow and Steal", which focused on the Trapinch.
> 
> -Rhyanna and Mitchell both appeared in the Sinnoh episode "Try for the Family Stone!"; Rhyanna's the one with the Misdreavus and Mitchell's the one with the Murkrow.
> 
> -Melodi appeared in the Sinnoh episode "Mutiny in the Bounty", where her Gardevoir got stolen by Pokémon Hunter J.
> 
> Alright, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!


	2. Meet the Relatives, All 500-Plus of Them!

"WOW! Good job, girls! You two sure have practice last time I saw you!"

Once Faith and Joy finished their dual dance routine and bowed politely at her, Serena clapped vigorously while her three trusty Pokémon – Sylveon, Pancham, and Delphox – nodded with agreement. Spritzee and Swirlix took a moment to fly around in the air some more before landing on the shoulders of their unofficial owners.

"Thank you, Serena!" Faith cried, her cheeks pink.

"We practiced very, very hard!" added Joy. "We wanted to make it as pretty as possible for you!"

"Well, don't forget, you two," Serena advised while wagging a finger at the two young girls. "Pokémon Showcases aren't just about looking pretty onstage. It's about working side-by-side with your Pokémon and understanding how you can all make the best performance out there."

"I don't understand, Serena..." Faith said, tilting her head slightly.

"Well, take your Spritzee and your sister's Swirlix, for example. They fly around in the air, which means you two can train your Pokémon to make some really beautiful maneuvers in midair. Simply flying around up and down and in circles is not gonna be enough to impress the judges. Your Pokémon have to be just as stylish as you two are when you're onstage."

"Ohhhhh, I see!" exclaimed Joy. "So I have to teach Swirlix a really pretty move or something. Like-Like a back-flip!"

"Yes, you can do that, Joy. You can also have your Pokémon use attacks to make your performances even prettier!" The honey-blonde took a glance at Swirlix. "Let's see. If I remember correctly, Swirlix know Cotton Spore and Fairy Wind. So you can have Swirlix use Cotton Spore first, and then use Fairy Wind to position the cotton correctly. That way, you can make it snow cotton!"

"Snow cotton?!" Faith squealed, her eyes glittering with wonder. "Ooh, that sounds so _pretty_!"

"I wanna do that, I wanna do that!" cried Joy. She motioned at Swirlix with great enthusiasm. "Swirlix, use Cotton Spore and then Fairy Wind! Make it pretty!"

"NO, WAIT!" Serena shrieked with terror.

But it was too late. Swirlix happily obliged to the girl's command, jumping in the air and releasing tufts of cotton from its cotton-like fur. Then, the Cotton Candy Pokémon stirred up a powerful, sparkling wind and released it, sending the cotton tufts flying everywhere. Serena was first pelted with many of the sticky tufts before being knocked into Delphox's arms. Her Pokémon were also bombarded with the cotton, and once the wind died down, the quartet looked very much like the Wooloo that Serena saw during her trip to Galar.

"Oh, no!" Joy cried, while Faith gasped with shock. "I'm sorry, Serena, I'm so, so sorry! It was an accident!"

"Ohhh, it's okay, Joy..." replied Serena while she started tearing the cotton tufts off her body.

"We'll help!" Faith suggested. "We'll help!"

With that, Faith ran up to Pancham to pluck the tufts off his body, while Joy did the same for Sylveon. Meanwhile, Serena was hard at work multitasking between herself and Delphox.

"A word of advice, you two," she said, "you need to train your Pokémon first before they can do moves like that. You two are just too young to make those kinds of strategies."

"We're sorry, Serena..." Faith replied glumly.

"Awww, it's okay. I'm not mad, girls."

However, she continued to notice the disappointed looks on her cousins' faces. The young woman thought for a moment, then a sly grin appeared on her face. She picked up one of the cotton tufts she plucked out of Delphox's fur, aimed, and threw it at Joy's head. It landed harmlessly on her hair and clung gently to it, but nevertheless, it caught her attention.

"My hair!" she squealed. Then, she looked at Serena, who was trying her best to stifle a snicker. "Serena, you're mean!"

"Well, what can I say?! Cotton fight!"

With that, Serena picked up more cotton tufts and threw them at both girls. Realizing what was happening, Faith and Joy picked up their own cotton balls and threw them at Serena, laughing all the while. All three girls were pelted relentlessly with the tufts, which clung onto their skin and clothes stubbornly. Swirlix, Spritzee, and Serena's Pokémon soon joined in on the fight, with Swirlix generating more ammunition for all of them.

It was a good thing the playroom was massive enough to accommodate the ever-increasing mass of cotton. Within a few moments, it looked as if an entire cloud had filled the room.

"You can never beat me, girls!" Serena called tauntingly while hiding behind a massive column of cotton. "I'm the queen of cotton fights! I will NOT yield!"

"Pan-pancham!" Pancham added while joining his Trainer's side.

"If you're the queen," Faith replied, "why're you hiding?!"

"Yeah!" added Joy. "Come on out and show us you're the queen, Serena!"

"She can't beat us, though. She's the queen, but we're the empress!"

"Empress! Hear that, Serena! Empress is better than queen!"

Serena blinked. "Empress? Yeah, well, I'm the _empress_ of empresses! HA! Beat _that_, girls!"

"Well," Faith replied, "we're the empress of empresses of empresses!"

"Empress of empresses of empresses?! That doesn't even make sense, girls! 'Cause I'm actually the super-empress of all empresses of empresses of empresses!" She looked at Pancham and the approaching Sylveon. "Did I say that right?"

"Pancham pancham," Pancham replied, nodding.

"Sylvie," Sylveon added in agreement.

Then, all of a sudden, Faith called, "Serena?"

"What?" Serena replied, smirking. "Are you two ready to surrender to your empress?"

"We just wanted to know if you're gonna marry Ashy," Joy said in a singsong voice.

Serena's face turned red in a split-second. "M-M-Ma-_Marry_?!"

"Mm-hm!" replied Faith. "You love Ashy so much. Just marry him already!"

"M-Ma-Marry _him_?!" The honey-blonde's face turned even redder than before. "B-B-Bu-But I d-d-don't know if w-we're r-re-ready f-fo-for th-th-that-"

"But you _wanna_, don't you?" Joy asked.

"Just ask him already, Serena!" Faith added.

"A-A-Ask him?!" Serena's voice cracked, and her entire body was now trembling with nervousness. "B-B-Bu-But I-I d-do-don't th-th-think h-he-he'll a-a-agree-"

"Why not?" Faith asked.

"Yeah!" added Joy. "Ashy loves _you_! He'll say yes, yes, yes!"

"It'll be _sooooo_ romantic, Serena!"

"I-I _know_ Ash loves me! I-It's just...I-I don't know i-if he's r-re-ready for that yet-"

"How can an empress be super-duper better than a queen without an emperor?!" called Joy.

"W-We-Well, a-an empress d-do-doesn't need t-to have an emperor to be s-su-super-duper better-"

"DELPHOX!"

Serena looked across her shoulder and saw Delphox peering behind another pillar of cotton and pointing at her direction. Then, she looked behind her and saw Faith and Joy standing a couple of feet away from her, a pile of cotton tufts by their legs. Spritzee and Swirlix were hovering right above them, carrying cotton of their own.

"GOTCHA!" Faith squealed as she and her twin sister started throwing cotton balls at their cousin.

"AAAAAAGGGGGGHHHHHH!" Serena screamed hysterically as she, Pancham, and Sylveon were pelted by the cotton. The young woman stumbled into the cotton pillar she was hiding behind, causing it to collapse on top of her and bury her and her Pokémon in all of its fluff.

"YES!" cried Joy. "We won, we won!"

"YAY!" Faith joined hands with her sister, and the two little girls started prancing around in triumph. "We got Serena!"

"Awwwwww, no _fair_!" Serena snapped with disappointment, just as Delphox used her Psychic to lift the cotton away from her, Pancham, and Sylveon. "You girls distracted me! That's playing dirty!"

"Well," Faith replied slyly, "everyone knows how lovey-dovey you are with Ashy."

"Ewww..." added Joy while sticking her tongue out in disgust.

"Y-Yeah, well..." Serena started carefully removing the last of the cotton tufts clinging to her clothes. "One day, when you girls are old enough, you'll find that being in love is the greatest thing that could ever happen to you."

"Nope!" Faith flashed her teeth in an innocent smile. "Why should we like _boys_? They drool."

"Ash doesn't drool," the honey-blonde replied defensively.

"Doesn't matter!" Joy exclaimed. "Girls rule and boys drool! That's why they have cooties and we don't."

Serena stifled a giggle. "Okaaaaay. Whatever you girls say. You still cheated to win, though."

"But it was funny, right?"

"It wasn't really Performer-like of you two."

"Well," replied Faith, "we're not old enough to be Performers yet, so we can do whatever we want till then!"

_"Jeez,"_ Serena thought while sweat-dropping. _"These girls have spunk that's bigger than mine and Bonnie's combined."_

Just then, they heard the door open. "Hey, girls!" a voice called. "Are you in- Whoa, what the heck happened _here_?!"

"We're over here, Antonio," Serena replied, holding her arm high above the mass of cotton so her relative could see it.

"Oh, there you are, Serena. Uh, your mom's calling for you. Everyone's having lunch outside."

"Oh, lunch has already begun? O-Okay." The woman turned to Faith and Joy. "Come on, girls. We have to go outside and eat some food. We don't wanna disappoint our aunts and uncles who made all this wonderful food for us, do we?"

"Okay," Joy replied, nodding in agreement.

With that, the three girls and their Pokémon trudged their way across the swamp of cotton, towards the doorway. There, they found a young, handsome man with brown hair and hazel eyes waiting for them. He blushed and gulped slightly at the sight of Serena.

"H-He-Hey, Se-Serena," he greeted nervously.

"Hey yourself, Antonio," Serena replied with a fond smile. She was aware of the crush her distant cousin had on her, but it was a shame for him that she was already taken.

"B-B-By the way," Antonio continued in a stutter, "your boyfriend Ash is making quite a scene."

Her sapphire-blue eyes expanded with concern. "Wh-_What_?! Why, what's he doing?!"

* * *

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt! Greninja, use Water Shuriken!"

Pikachu leaped into the air and released a powerful bolt of electricity from its body. As for Greninja, he formed a shuriken of water in his hand and threw it with all of his might. Solrock was very quick in dodging the Thunderbolt, however, and it used Solar Beam to stop the Water Shuriken from hitting its partner, Lunatone.

"Good save, Tate!" a woman exclaimed on the other side of the field. "Now, Lunatone! Use Ice Beam!"

"Use Solar Beam again, Solrock!" commanded the man standing beside Lunatone's Trainer.

Solrock and Lunatone fired their respective attacks, which barreled towards Pikachu and Greninja at high speeds.

"Dodge, you two!" ordered Ash.

Both of his Pokémon followed his order with ease, and the powerful attacks struck the ground below them. This triggered a great explosion, and the shock-wave knocked Pikachu and Greninja off-balance, forcing them to make painful landings. Once the smoke cleared, Ash pointed towards the opposing Pokémon.

"Now, Pikachu! Use Quick Attack!"

"Pika!" Pikachu cried determinedly. Then, he sprinted towards Solrock and Lunatone, all the while leaving behind a silver trail of energy behind.

"Solrock!" the man called. "Use Stone Edge! Stop Pikachu from getting within striking distance!"

"Greninja!" Ash cried quickly. "Use Cut! Stop the rocks from reaching Pikachu!"

The Meteorite Pokémon conjured rocks from the ground beneath it and hurled them in groups at the rapidly approaching Pikachu. Greninja reacted quickly by jumping into the air, while a white needle appeared in one of his hands. Every time the Ninja Pokémon reached a hurled rock, he used the needle to cut the rocks in half with ease.

"Oh, no you don't!" exclaimed the woman. "Lunatone, use Psychic to stop Greninja! And quickly! Solrock's almost out of rocks to throw!"

Lunatone's eyes glowed blue as it started humming menacingly. At the same time, Greninja's outline started glowing the same color, just as he positioned himself in front of another one of Solrock's rocks to cut it. The Water-type attempted to move, only to realize he was totally frozen in midair. A split-second later, Greninja was struck by the rock.

"No, Greninja!" Ash shouted.

"Yes!" the woman cried.

"Wow!" replied the man. "Great save, Liza!"

Meanwhile, Solrock hurled the last of its conjured rocks at Pikachu's direction. Gasping with shock, the Mouse Pokémon attempted to maneuver his way through the falling rocks, but one particularly large one landed right in front of him and he smashed through it, thus expending the move.

"Now, Solrock!" the man commanded while pointing at Pikachu. "Finish this with another Solar Beam!"

After gathering light from the exposed Sun on the topmost rock of its head, Solrock fired a green beam of energy at the Mouse Pokémon. Pikachu tried to dodge it, but it was too late; the beam hit him dead-on and sent him flying.

"Pikachu!" Ash cried with concern.

Fortunately, Pikachu and Greninja recovered from the attacks and landed on their feet. Both of them looked bruised and battered, but otherwise, they were still raring for another shot at their opponents. After verifying the determination of his Pokémon, Ash smiled at the two Trainers on the other side of the field.

"You two sure have gotten stronger since we last met!" he called. "I'm quite impressed, Tate, Liza!"

The Mossdeep City Gym Leaders smiled back at their opponent. "We could say the same for you, Ash!" Tate replied. "You sure have been training your Pikachu a lot since our last battle!"

"And your Greninja is quite impressive in both strength and agility!" added Liza.

Then, the twin siblings looked at one another, silently communicating. It didn't take long for them to reach an unspoken understanding, and their eyes started glinting with determination. Once they mentally agreed on their next strategy, the two Gym Leaders looked back at Ash.

"Unfortunately for you, Ash..." Tate began.

"This is just a taste-tester of our strength!" completed Liza.

Then, they drew their sleeves back at the same time, revealing bracelets on Tate's left arm and Liza's right arm. Ash had to squint his eyes a little to make sure, but there was no mistaking those familiar rainbow-like gleams.

"You have Key Stones?!" the Pallet Town native exclaimed.

"That's right!" Liza replied. "We just got 'em last week!"

"And they come with Mega Stones!" added Tate.

Realizing what the twins were implying, Ash squinted his eyes to take closer looks at Solrock and Lunatone. He had been too distracted by the prospect of battling the Mossdeep Gym Leaders again, but he could see them as clearly as day now. Engraved harmlessly into the lowermost rock of Solrock's body, and the jagged nose of Lunatone, were the Mega Stones that Alain reported discovering last month.

"The Solrockite and the Lunatonite," Ash breathed out in wonder.

"Impressive, huh?" Tate asked. Then, his Key Stone started to glow, and the Solrockite glowed in sync with him.

"Now let's see you break through our power!" cried Liza as her Key Stone and the Lunatonite glowed simultaneously. "No more deus ex machinas to rely on!"

Soon, the bodies of Tate's Solrock and Liza's Lunatone were fully enveloped in a brilliant, rainbow-like light.

"NOW!" the twins shouted at once. "BEYOND THE REACHES OF EVOLUTION, SOLROCK/LUNATONE, MEGA EVOLVE!"

This was followed by dual explosions of blinding, bright light, forcing Ash, Pikachu, and Greninja to flinch and shield their eyes with their forearms. Once the light subsided, the trio lowered their arms and saw, to their astonishment, the newly Mega Evolved Solrock and Lunatone.

Mega Solrock was partially enveloped in crimson flames that replaced all but one of its rocky protrusions. The remaining protrusion, the topmost one, was redesigned to resemble a crown, not unlike Shedinja's.

Mega Lunatone was slightly larger than its regular counterpart, and its body bore spider-like cracks that exposed the ice underneath. The ice was so cold that it emitted a wispy smoke that enveloped the Meteorite Pokémon like a transparent, thin veil.

"WHOA!" Ash cried, his eyes shimmering with wonder. "MEGA EVOLUTION IS **SO** COOL!"

"Let's see you find a counter-strategy against our newfound power, Ash!" Liza responded with a grin.

Just then, Ash flashed a cocky grin of his own. "Well, now that you mention it..."

He promptly felt a surge of energy pass through his body like a wave. As soon as he felt it, he crossed his arms into an X shape, which Greninja repeated at the exact same time. Then, one second later, the Ninja Pokémon became enshrouded in a veil of water. A faint blue glow started emanating from the swirling water veil, which persisted for only a few seconds before the liquid exploded outward, revealing...

"WHOA!" Tate and Liza cried at the same time. "DID YOUR GRENINJA MEGA EVOLVE!"

"B-But that's _impossible_!" Tate continued. "You never showed us a Key Stone, nor did your Greninja have a Mega Stone!"

"I've never heard of a Mega Evolution like _this_ before!" added Liza.

"That's because this _isn't_ Mega Evolution, you guys," Ash replied. "Consider this...my new Thunder Armor, if you will."

Liza started shaking her head with disbelief, while Tate moaned, "No...you gotta be _kidding_ me..."

"Get ready, Tate and Liza!" Ash proclaimed. "For this is _my_ newfound power! BOND PHENOMENON!"

As his Trainer announced the transformation's name, Greninja made a mighty offensive pose, showing off its new bodily features as Ash-Greninja. Then, Ash pointed at Solrock and Lunatone as both Meteorite Pokémon readied themselves.

"Now, Greninja! Let's put our new move to good use! Triple Water Shuriken!"

Greninja launched himself into the air and raised his hands, prompting shurikens of water to start developing on the tops of his palms. Once he reached the height of his leap, Greninja flung the dual shurikens at Solrock and Lunatone.

"Oh, no you don't!" Liza cried. "Lunatone, use Ice Beam on those Water Shurikens!"

"Then follow it up with Solar Beam, Solrock!" added Tate.

Lunatone fired its attack, freezing both Water Shurikens in seconds. Then, Solrock launched its own attack, which quickly destroyed the incoming frozen shurikens. However, in spite of this development, Ash continued to smile.

"Good strategy, you two!" he cried. "But there's a reason I call this new move 'Triple Water Shuriken'!" Then, he pointed at his opponents again. "NOW, GRENINJA!"

At his Trainer's cue, the wing-like Water Shuriken on Greninja's back grew larger, upon which the Ninja Pokémon grabbed it, detached it from his back, and started spinning through the air. As he did, the Water Shuriken grew larger and larger, its blades sticking out precariously. That, plus his current spinning position, gave Greninja a semblance to a spinning saw that was being flung wildly through the air.

"STOP GRENINJA WITH ICE BEAM, LUNATONE!" Liza commanded with shock.

The Meteorite Pokémon fired the Ice Beam, but before it could reach Greninja, he mustered all of his strength and threw the Water Shuriken with a harsh, mighty croak. By that point, the Water Shuriken had already grown to an astoundingly massive size, perhaps nearly twice its size. The Ice Beam hit the center of the gargantuan Water Shuriken, but it was so large that it was clear the move wouldn't be fully frozen by the time it reached its opponents.

"USE SOLAR BEAM, SOLROCK!" a terrified Tate screamed. "BREAK THAT WATER SHURIKEN APART!"

Solrock did as its Trainer instructed, firing the attack into the frozen center of the Water Shuriken. Just as Tate expected, the ice shattered into pieces, disturbing the remaining liquid makeup of the shuriken. Solrock and Lunatone maneuvered their way around the falling blocks of ice, only for them and their Trainers to be showered by water.

"AGH!" the twins cried, flinching.

As for Solrock and Lunatone, they both released loud, agonizing cries. Because of the raining water, the fire on Solrock's body had weakened considerably, and the ice within Lunatone's body was cracked and dripping.

"Solrock!" Tate cried with concern.

"Lunatone!" exclaimed Liza. "Hang in there!"

"Just as I planned!" Ash proclaimed.

Tate looked at the Pallet Town native with bewilderment. "J-Just like you _planned_?!"

"QUICK, PIKACHU!" Ash pointed at the weakened Solrock and Lunatone. "USE THUNDERBOLT!"

"Pika!" Pikachu cried. He ran a few feet down the field before leaping in the air. "Piiikaaaaa..."

"STOP HIM, SOLROCK!" Tate cried in desperation.

"YOU TOO, LUNATONE!" added Liza.

Solrock and Lunatone attempted to respond with defensive moves, but in their weakened states, they stumbled in their steps. This gave Pikachu enough time to use his best move.

**"_CHUUUUU_!"**

A powerful bolt of electricity shot out from the Mouse Pokémon's body and struck both Solrock and Lunatone. Because of the water dripping down their solid bodies, the power of the Electric-type move was amplified. Both Meteorite Pokémon let out cries of anguish as the electricity zapped them over and over again.

Tate and Liza had nothing left to say. Instead, they gasped with disbelief as they watched their best Pokémon collapse to the ground, out for the count.

"Solrock and Lunatone are unable to battle!" Clemont's voice suddenly announced. "The winner of the Double Battle goes to Ash and his Pikachu and Greninja!"

An applause suddenly broke out and filled the air. Ash could hear a myriad of familiar voices cheering and congratulating him from the sidelines.

"YES!" he cried, just as Pikachu leaped into his arms and Greninja joined his side. "We did it, you guys!"

"Pika!" Pikachu squeaked with exultation.

"Greninja," Greninja simply croaked.

Meanwhile, Tate and Liza recalled their Pokémon and stared fondly at their Poké Balls.

"You did great out there, Solrock," Tate said. "Now you take a good rest."

"It's alright, Lunatone," Liza said. "You did your best. It's time you took a break now."

Just then, Ash, Pikachu, and Greninja approached the two Gym Leaders. The former smiled and held out his hand.

"Great battle, you guys," he said. "You two were quite a challenge."

"We could say the same for you," replied Liza as she politely shook Ash's hand.

"You know," a shiny-eyed Tate remarked after he accepted Ash's handshake, "We've heard about this Bond Phenomenon here and there on occasion, Ash. We just never figured you'd be the only Trainer in the world to master it!"

"Ah, well..." Ash rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "I'm not special or anything, you guys. Bond Phenomenon's just like another form of Mega Evolution. One of these days, someone else is gonna get the hang of it."

"Still, it's a pretty special distinction to have, Ash. You should be more proud of yourself."

"Pika, pika," Pikachu added, nodding in agreement.

"I agree, Ash," Clemont piped as he joined Ash on the field. "I mean, you and Greninja have had that special connection for, what, three years? It's clear no one else is gonna master the Bond Phenomenon anytime soon. Until then, you're the only person in the world who's got the hang of it."

"I'm a little jealous of you, to be honest..." remarked Liza.

"Ash?!" a familiar voice cried from a short distance. "Ash!"

Ash looked over his shoulder and saw a honey-blonde woman breaking through his audience and rushing towards him.

"Serena?" he asked, surprised. "What's wrong?"

"Antonio told me you were making a scene out here and I was worried-" Serena stopped speaking to examine the scene. "W-Wait a minute, what happened here?"

"Oh!" Ash flashed her a smile. "I had a battle with Tate and Liza!"

"You _battled_ them?!" Serena's eyes widened with terror. "Wh-_Why_?!"

"Relax, cuz!" Liza exclaimed, approaching the honey-blonde woman and patting her shoulder. "It was all in the name of friendly sportsmanship! Plus, Tate and I wanted to catch up with Ash."

"Yeah," Ash added, giving her a reassuring smile. "I was the one who challenged them in the first place!"

"_Oh_..." Relief washed over Serena's face. "I-It was just a _friendly_ battle. I should've known." She chuckled for a moment before blinking with confusion. "Wait, catch up?"

"Oh, I guess I didn't mention this to you!" Energy filled Ash's auburn eyes with every word he spoke. "You remember my stories about my first time traveling in Hoenn, right?"

"Yeah, I do..." Then, Serena's eyes expanded with realization. "Ohhh, so you battled Tate and Liza for their Badge?!"

"Yeah, he did," Liza said. "To be honest, he cheated in order to win."

Ash blushed a little. "N-No, I didn't! I-I'll admit, Thunder Armor was a bit on-the-nose and improvised, b-but-"

He was cut off by a giggle from Liza. "Oh, relax. I was just messing with you." Then, the Mossdeep Gym Leader glanced at Serena. "I know you mentioned having a boyfriend named Ash, but I never would have guessed it was the same Ash who challenged me and my little bro all of those years ago!" Her eye started twinkling. "I also would have never guessed that this very Ash would grow up to be such a _hunk_!"

Ash's and Serena's faces turned cherry-red almost instantaneously. "WHAT?!" they cried.

Before anyone could stop her, Liza ran up to Ash and started groping his arms and torso. "Such well-developed _muscles_, and look at that shirt! It looks so _tight_! What could it be hiding, I wonder...?" The Gym Leader gave Serena a pout. "And here I am, still single and pining for someone to sweep me off my feet. I'm so jealous, Rena..."

"Oh, my Arceus," Tate moaned while face-palming. "You promised you wouldn't be acting that way during the party, sis."

_"There's a reason I didn't invite Miette to this reunion!"_ Serena thought, while steam started to shoot out of every orifice in her head. _"But now I have to deal with a Miette 2.0?!"_

To her immense relief, Ash tore himself away from Liza. "If you're trying to flirt with me, Liza, I'm sorry," he said politely. Then, he wrapped an arm around Serena's. "Serena is my girlfriend and I have no intention of leaving her anytime soon. Or ever."

Serena's anger dissipated in an instant and was replaced with a bubbly cheerfulness. "_Ash_!" she squealed.

Then, she grabbed her boyfriend's cheeks and directed his face towards hers, allowing the Performer to kiss him squarely on the lips. Serena rejoiced inwardly, especially after hearing Liza moan with disappointment.

"EWWWWW!" two voices cried.

Serena broke the kiss with a smirk and looked towards the audience. Standing between a beaming Grace and Layla were Faith and Joy, who were sticking their tongues out with disgust. Faith's Spritzee and Joy's Swirlix were mirroring the girls' actions.

"Why would _kiss_ him, Serena?!" Faith called.

"We just _told_ you Ashy has _cooties_!" cried Joy.

Several members of the audience chuckled, while Layla snapped harshly, "Girls! You shouldn't interrupt like that!"

"But we're trying to save Serena from getting cooties!" whined Joy.

With that, most of the audience broke away to resume the tasks they were attending to prior to the battle. This allowed Bonnie, Calem, and Shauna to join Ash, Serena, Clemont, Tate, and Liza.

"That was an awesome battle, Ash!" Calem cried.

"Yeah!" added Bonnie. She started punching the air enthusiastically. "Greninja's Triple Water Shuriken was the coolest!"

"Nenene!" Dedenne squeaked in agreement.

"Aw, thank you, Bonnie," Ash replied. "Greninja and I have been practicing that move every day. I'm glad to see all that training has finally paid off."

"Gre..." croaked Greninja with a cool nod of his head.

"Well," Tate said, "I think it's safe to say you beat us yet again, Ash. Even with our Mega Stones, Solrock and Lunatone's combined powers weren't enough to overcome your huge determination." He then released a despondent sigh. "I guess it means sis and I need to do some more practicing..."

"I still say you cheated," grumbled Liza.

"Aw, come on, you two!" Calem exclaimed. He slung his arms over both twins' shoulders while wearing an ear-to-ear grin on his face. "You did great out there, both of you! I say we have a drink to celebrate this hard-fought battle!"

"I can agree with that," replied Clemont, the inventor nodding with a smile.

"Ooh, ooh, me too, me too!" Bonnie cried while jumping energetically.

"Dedenne!" Dedenne added.

"I could go for a drink myself," Serena remarked. "After playing Pokémon Showcases with Faith and Joy, not to mention getting myself worried over nothing about Ash stirring up trouble, I'm swamped..."

With that, the entire group walked over to an empty table and sat down on the chairs provided there. As they did, a pair of familiar pink-haired females approached them. They looked almost identical in appearance, although one of them was taller and older than the other, who seemed to be around Bonnie's age.

"Tate, Liza," the taller of the two said, "Paige and I will take care of your Solrock and Lunatone."

"Oh, thank you so much, Marnie!" Liza exclaimed. She and Tate promptly handed their Poké Balls to the pair. "Make sure they're in tip-top condition!"

"Don't forget who you're talking to," the other female replied. Then, she gave Ash a wave. "Hi, Ash! Long time, no see!"

Ash blinked with surprise. "Oh! H-Hey, uhhh..."

"Paige."

"Oh yeah, Paige! I remember you!" The raven-haired man then looked at the taller woman. "And that makes you Marnie, right?"

"Yep, that's me," Marnie replied.

"Wow, I didn't see you guys earlier!" exclaimed Ash. "How're you guys doing?!"

"We're good. Our mom's training us so we can take over her Pokémon Center. Speaking of which, we've got a job to do." Marnie started walking away, with Paige behind her heels. "We'll catch up later, Ash!"

"Yeah!" Ash waved at the two departing females. "See you guys later!"

Once Marnie and Paige went out of sight, Calem let out a sigh of relief. "Jeez, I'm so glad they didn't greet me first. I can never tell one Joy apart from another! It's always so awkward whenever I have to talk to them!" He then smirked at Ash. "Hey, we probably should've brought your friend Brock. I'm sure he'd be drooling at the sight of all these Nurse Joy."

Calem scanned the relatives who were present, and made out about a dozen Nurse Joys, and that was excluding all their physically identical children. Upon hearing Brock's name, Ash laughed as he started getting some spaghetti out of a bowl in the center of the table.

"Oh, if only," he said. "But Brock's seeing someone now, and he's kept himself in check _pretty_ well, shockingly."

"Oh, wow!" Shauna exclaimed while she got herself some food of her own. "I didn't know this! Who's he seeing?"

"Holly," Serena replied while plucking a macaron out of another bowl and giving it to an expectant Pikachu.

"Holly?" Calem's head perked up. "You mean Rhonda's kid Holly?"

"Yep. But I heard from my mom that neither of them will be making it to the reunion. Apparently, Holly's helping her out with a news report in Snowpoint City."

"Whoa, whoa, wait a minute!" Ash looked at Serena with surprise. "Rhonda, the _Sinnoh Now_ reporter?"

"Who else, Ash?"

"And you're saying _they're_ your relatives too?"

"Yep." Serena put a finger to her chin. "If I can remember correctly, Rhonda's my mom's second cousin...once removed? Or is it twice removed?"

"It's somewhere along those lines," replied Calem.

"Don't think about it too much, Ash," Liza said. "This family tree is gonna scramble your mind in a few seconds."

"I don't know anyone beyond a third of my second cousins," added Tate. "The amount of names gets too overwhelming after that."

"Wow..." Ash scanned all of Serena's relatives who were still outside. "I think I've only met about twenty or thirty people here...but I already know so many of them!"

"Really?" Serena finished assembling her salad and took her first bite. "You never told me about all of the people you met during your journeys, Ash. So, who'd you reunite with here?"

"Well..." Ash took another scan of the crowd and it was slower this time. "There's Tate, Liza, Marnie, and Paige obviously. I also saw Natasha. I ran into her at her watermelon patch in Hoenn. That was after I had my Mauville Gym battle."

"The Melon Master?" Calem's face suddenly turned red. "That's one of our second cousins. I didn't see her!" He instantly started peering over Ash's head into the crowd of relatives. "Is she here? I'd like to see her melons- I-I mean, her-"

He was cut off when Shauna pressed a butter knife against his neck. "What was that, _honey_?" she asked sweetly, though there was a certain shadow over her eyes. "You were saying something about _melons_?"

Calem sat down, his face transfixed with terror. "_Nothing_..."

Shauna sat back down as well, and the terrifying aura was now gone. "Good!"

Serena blinked. "_Okaaaaayyyyy_... Y-You were saying, Ash...?"

"We-Well..." Ash cleared his throat. "Um, I saw Benny. I helped him out in Johto when he wanted to trade his Wobbuffet away for another Pokémon. He eventually got a Lickitung on his own. It's now a Lickilicky...and for some strange reason, it's _really_ clingy to me and Pikachu." He then thought about his words for a moment. "And when I saw me and Pikachu, I mean Pikachu only..."

"A Benny with a Lickilicky," Calem remarked. "Yep, that's one of my first cousins."

"Who else did you meet, Ash?" asked Serena.

"Ummmmm...Pr-Professor Malvax!" exclaimed Ash. "At least, I think that was his name-"

"You mean Malveaux?"

"I think so. He's the director of the Ferroseed Research Institute near Icirrus City..."

"That's my mom's great-uncle. I didn't know he'd be here! I thought he had a meeting to go to?"

"I think my mom mentioned it was canceled at the last minute," replied Calem.

"Huh... I hope my mom met up with him. He still needs to return the suitcases we loaned to him."

"Is there anyone else you know who's here, Ash?" Clemont asked curiously.

"Well..." Ash scanned the crowd of relatives again. "To be honest, there's a lot of people here that I _do_ remember..."

"And you said you've only met, like, thirty people so far!" Bonnie exclaimed with awe. "I wonder how many people are at this party that you actually know already..."

"Nenene..." Dedenne added with wonder.

"Y-Yeah, I wonder..." replied Ash.

"And you were all worked up about the possibility of someone not liking you," Serena remarked with a smile. "I'd say you don't have to worry about that anymore."

"Wait, what?" Tate asked with his mouth full of meatballs.

"Ash was worried that he'd make a bad first impression with the family," explained Shauna.

"What're you talking about?!" exclaimed Liza. "Even if you haven't met everyone yet, you definitely impressed the family with that battle of ours. Everyone was watching and I heard them cheering all the way." After taking a bite of her salad, she pointed her fork at Ash's direction. "You can just let all your fears go, Ash. I think everyone likes you already."

At that moment, Ash lowered his head. "But Dawson doesn't like me..." he replied.

"Dawson?" Tate asked curiously. "You mean Uncle Dawson?"

"Oh, _please_!" Liza cried. "The man's getting senile. He's not what he used to be and he's all cranky about that. I wouldn't worry too much about him, Ash. In fact, I'm sure he's forgotten about you already. Just let him arrange all of these little get-togethers, and don't give a second thought about him."

"I guess you're right..." replied Ash, though his voice still sounded a little downtrodden.

The conversation between friends continued well into the evening, and during that time, Ash continued meeting up with a myriad of more familiar faces. First, there was Annie, one of the residents of Wobbuffet Village, located near Ecruteak City. Dedenne bonded with her Wobbuffet in a matter of minutes.

Then, there was Linda, the special deputy who Ash met in Driftveil City. She and her boyfriend of four years, motorcyclist Charles, a.k.a. "The Mighty Accelguard", spent several moments catching up with Ash and Serena before being called off by other relatives.

Next, there was Katie, one of the Trainers Ash battled during the Ever Grande Conference. Ash was psyched to meet her again and even challenged her to a battle. However, she declined, saying her Pokémon were still recovering from a police operation she took part in, as she was now a police officer in LaRousse City.

Next, there was McCauley, the pharmacy worker who Ash met in Kanto. He had arrived at the behest of one of the Nurse Joys, since his expertise in specific medicines would be beneficial in case a Pokémon came down with an unknown illness or one that didn't have readily-available treatment. He brought his coworker and girlfriend Mariah, who was conveniently a big fan of Serena's and asked to look at her Pokémon, something the honey-blonde agreed to.

Finally, there was none other than Alice, the Alamos Town tour guide, who by that point had married Tonio. The two had a son, Godey, together and were expecting a baby girl. Naturally, this prompted a lot of squealing and gushing between Serena, Bonnie, Shauna, and Liza.

"Well," Clemont said as he waved Alice and Tonio goodbye, "you sure do know a lot of people, Ash."

"It's like this family already has a deep connection with you," added Calem.

"I'll say," Ash said as he sunk further into his chair with exhaustion. "But I think I'm done catching up with people for one day. Maybe I'll continue this tomorrow." He looked at Serena. "Everyone _is_ staying in Kalos for the week, right?"

"That's right, hon," replied Serena.

"Good. I have enough time to get to know everyone-"

"Ohhh, hello, my dear Serena!" a new voice suddenly called elegantly.

Ash face-palmed. "Aw, man..."

Everyone looked up to see a well-dressed, elderly woman walking up to their table in a well-mannered strut. An equally-old Stoutland flanked her, its face seemingly more grizzled and ancient than Arceus itself.

"My, my!" the woman exclaimed. "It's such a pleasure to lay my eyes upon you again!"

"Oh!" Serena finished her latest spoonful of salad before standing up and bowing her head. "Hello, Auntie Emilia!"

"Ahhh, every time I see you, you look more dazzling than ever, my dear." Emilia hugged the honey-blonde and gave her two quick but soft pecks to both of her cheeks. "All the men must be flocking to you every passing day, no matter where you are."

Serena blushed. "Oh, Auntie Emilia! I'm-I'm flattered! A-And yes, I do get flirted with by men every day, _but_-" She took Ash's arm and guided him into standing up as well. "I always let them know that I'm taken."

Unbeknownst to Serena or anyone else, Tate's head drooped downward slightly with disappointment.

"H-He-Hey there," Ash greeted in a stutter. Then, he blushed and bowed his own head politely. "I-I mean, it's a pleasure to meet you, M-Miss...Emilia?"

"Oh, please!" Emilia made a dismissive wave with her arm. "Don't let the dress fool you; there's no need to be so _formal_! My dear, just call me Emilia."

"O-Of course, Emilia!"

Then, Ash's auburn eyes flitted towards the Stoutland; its chin was raised proudly, and it was standing at attention like a royal guard. Its faded fur was nevertheless gleaming brilliantly from the sunlight, making it look as if it was glowing with a newfound energy. Emilia noticed the man's interest in her Big-Hearted Pokémon and smiled.

"I see you've taken a fancy to my Landis," she said while petting Stoutland.

"Landis?" Ash asked.

"Yes. He was passed down to me by my mother when he was just a Herdier. Experts believe he is one of the oldest of his kind, if not the oldest. A true relic of a bygone generation."

"Wooooow..." The man's eyes started to shimmer with childlike innocence. "One of the oldest Stoutland ever..."

"Pikaaaaa..." added Pikachu.

"You may pet him if you like," Emilia said. "He has a preference for soft rubs to the head."

Ash obliged immediately and started petting Landis, just like the older woman had instructed. Meanwhile, Serena and the others observed the Big-Hearted Pokémon with just as much interest as Ash.

"Wow," Serena said. "I still remember when I first saw Landis. I was five at the time."

"I guess he's still got a lot of life kickin' in him, huh?" asked Calem.

"Trust me, dears," Emilia replied, "there's a lot in the world that Landis is intent on seeing. The dear boy's more stubborn than a Primeape trying to challenge Mt. Coronet."

"Oh, sp-speaking of which!" Ash exclaimed. He looked up, his eyes sparkling with a mixture of curiosity and enthusiasm. "I hear you've got some new Pokémon!"

"New Pokémon?" Then, she remembered. "Ah yes, I do. Arceus rest Morgan's dear soul."

"What are they, Auntie Emilia?" Serena asked. "Apparently it's a whole collection?"

"Why, yes my dear. But!" She raised an index finger and wagged it. "A proper lady never spoils a surprise! I intend to use these new Pokémon for a small show tonight! In honor of our latest family reunion!"

"They're for a show?" Clemont asked.

"Aw, phooey!" Bonnie exclaimed in a pout. "I wanted to see what kind of pretty and awesome Pokémon you have!"

"Dedenne!" squeaked Dedenne.

"Oh, you will, my dear," Emilia replied. "In due time."

"Man, a show..." Ash remarked with intrigue. "I wonder what kind of show it'll be..."

"What's this I hear about a show?" another voice asked. Serena's face brightened, while Ash's abruptly fell.

"Uncle Dawson!" Calem exclaimed.

"Oh-ho-ho, my dear boy!" the older gentleman greeted jovially as he entered the scene. "Shows are my forte! Especially Pokémon Musicals! They are an art to behold! So when you mention shows, you spark a sun of interest in this old man's little heart." Then, he looked at Emilia and smiled. "Emilia, you know the drill-"

"Oh, curb your tongue, Dawson!" Emilia interrupted with a hearty laugh. "I am a show-woman, and I have a reputation to maintain! Now, if you'll excuse me, ladies and gentlemen," She turned around on her heel. "I must attend to matters relating to a certain...cake."

With that, she sauntered off, with Landis waddling after her. Dawson chuckled and shook his head.

"That Emilia," he said. "Her and her theatrics." Then, he gazed out into the field Ash, Tate, and Liza used for their Double Battle. "Oh, good grief! What happened over _there_?! The grass is all torn up, and there's holes all over!"

"Didn't you see, Uncle Dawson?" Tate asked. "Liza and I had a battle with Ash!"

Dawson looked at the Gym Leader with confusion. "_Ash_?"

"Y-Yeah..." Ash said hesitantly while raising his hand. "I'm Ash... A-Ash Ketchum..."

"Pikachu," Pikachu said in greeting.

"Ash..._Ketchup_?"

Serena stood up. "U-Uncle Dawson, don't you remember? I introduced you to him earlier. H-He's my boyfriend."

"Your boyfriend?" The man's face contorted into jolly laughter. "Ho ho ho, my dear, dear Serena! I am very proud of your kindness, but I must warn you that flattering young men such as Ashton will lead to a very slippery slope in the future-"

"_What_?" Serena asked, her tone blank. "You...don't believe me? I..." She laughed with disbelief. "I've been _talking about him_ for months! Were you not listening to a word I was saying?"

"You've been dating for months?" Dawson scratched his head. "My dear, I do not recall hearing that from you-"

"W-Well, I'm dating right now, and this is my boyfriend." Serena lifted Ash to his feet. "Ash Ketchum."

"Ashton Ketchup, huh?" The older man shook his head with apparent sympathy. "A little word of advice, kid: have a talk with your parents about that last name of yours."

_"Why do I have a sense of __déjà vu...?"_ Ash thought.

"I..." Serena began before shaking her head. "N-Never mind..."

"Boyfriend or not," Dawson said, his eyes narrowing, "you kids need to be more considerate of the property you choose to have your battles on. Remember, I paid a lot of money renting this out."

"S-Sorry, Uncle Dawson," Liza said.

"We'll remember next time," added Tate.

"Good."

At that moment, Ash clenched his fists. "Dawson, sir," he said angrily, "I'm not some-"

"Oh, will you look at that?!" Dawson suddenly exclaimed, his focus now elsewhere. "Your Cousin Alice brought fruitcakes! I do hope that is her mother's recipe, Arceus bless her soul! I think I shall try one..."

Before anyone could stop him, the older gentleman wandered off. Once he was sure Dawson was gone, Ash collapsed in his seat with an exasperated sigh. Noticing this, Serena gently stroked her boyfriend's back.

"I'm so sorry about that, Ash," she said. "I don't know what's gotten into him today."

"I guess he's starting to feel the crutches of old age," remarked Calem. "I mean, didja see how screwed up his memory was? I've never seen him forget something within seconds."

"Makes me wonder how he managed to rent this place out with that memory," Shauna said.

"Or maybe everyone's in the wrong rental property," commented Tate.

"It doesn't matter," Ash replied somberly. "The more I interact with him, the more awkward and intimidating it gets. I've got a feeling he doesn't like me."

"Based on what?" Clemont asked. "The fact that he can't remember your name?"

"I don't know..." The raven-haired man took a deep breath. "But I just can't shake that feeling..."

"Well," Serena responded, "whatever's wrong, Ash, we will get through it together. Besides, it's not like failing to impress him isn't gonna end your chances of getting along with my _entire_ family. I mean, look at you right now! This is your first family reunion and you're already the star of the show!"

"I'll say," remarked Liza.

Upon hearing his girlfriend's words, Ash smiled and looked up at Serena. "Yeah, you're right," he replied. "Everyone else likes me. I'm only having problems with one person. It's no big deal, right?"

"That's the spirit, Ash!" Serena cried. "Just continue being yourself, and everyone here will love you! Even Uncle Dawson! He'll come around sooner or later, but for now, keep focusing on the party and having fun!"

"I will." Ash's auburn eyes started shimmering fondly. "I'm so glad you're my girlfriend, Serena."

Serena smirked and crossed her arms arrogantly. "Well, I gotta be, given your attitude! Oftentimes, I wonder how you'd end up if we didn't get together! But, knowing you, you'd probably be stuck in a really big pickle."

Ash chuckled. "Yep, that sounds about right. Well..." He cupped her cheeks with one hand, triggering an intense blush on the honey-blonde's cheeks. "I'm just glad you'll always be there to get me out of my big pickles."

And with that, the two kissed.

"Bravo, bravo," Calem commented as he clapped slowly. "The second-greatest romance ever. Behind me and Shauna, of course."

"Thank you, dear," replied Shauna.

"Wow, get a room, you two!" Bonnie cried teasingly.

* * *

"Dere she goes..."

Meowth lowered his binoculars while a sinister sneer crept onto his feline face. Then, he took a sideways glance at Jessie and James, who still had their binoculars raised.

"All we have ta do is wait till we have an opening," Meowth said. "And den, da special Pokémon dat old lady is supposed ta have will be ours for da takin'!"

"Yeah, yeah, we got it..." Jessie replied absentmindedly.

"Totally," added an equally distracted James.

Meowth frowned. "What are ya two losers gawkin' at?!"

"Look at the two main twerps," James said with a sigh. "Eating each other's faces out. They need to get a room."

"Young love..." Jessie sighed as well as she lowered her binoculars. "I remember when I was their age. Vibrant, idealistic, and full of life. I had so many big dreams, so many great aspirations..." Her green eyes started to shimmer with wonder. "I was so preoccupied with making it big and having a rags-to-riches story all to myself...that I missed out on what was supposed to be the most important to me..."

"And that is...?" asked James, lowering his own binoculars.

"Settling down... Starting a family... Spending the rest of my days...with my true love..."

"Yah, well..." Meowth said, "you're here, with us. Deal wit it and stick ta da plan, 'kay?!"

But Jessie started to swoon. "Ohhh, how I envy those twerps...and yet, I am also so _happy_ for them... At least _they_ had the time to find what mattered the most and lay the foundation for their future..."

"It _does_ sound nice..." James replied. "And look at how this super-big family is celebrating their togetherness. I wish my family was this way..."

"Seeing all of this...makes me wonder if we should retire-"

"WHAT?!" exclaimed Meowth.

"Think about it, Meowth," James replied. "How long has it been since we first declared we'd capture Pikachu and present him to the Boss? I mean, do you even _know_?"

"I lost count of da years afta Sinnoh...b-but it doesn't matter! We can't give up now, not when da twoips are so close! All we have ta do is snatch Pikachu and whatever Pokémon dat old lady has and hightail it!"

"And then the twerps will come after us, find us, get back Pikachu and whatever Pokémon we also stole, and blast us off with a nice Thunderbolt. Then, once we stick the landing, which we always don't, we get back onto the twerps' trail and start planning our next scheme. Rinse and repeat."

Jessie heaved out a heavy sigh of longing. "It's like the script of a TV show that's been on the air for so long," she said in a slight grumble. "It gets to the point where you can predict what's gonna happen."

"Well, it ain't happenin' _dis_ time!" Meowth proclaimed. "Come _on_, guys! Didja remember?! We're _Team Rocket_! We're da bad guys! And you know what dey say about bad guys?"

"They always lose?" James asked, his voice glum and downtrodden.

"No!" Meowth waved his paws energetically. "They're da _best_!"

"The..._best_...?"

"Yeah, da BEST, James! What's a good story without da bad guy winning once in a while?! _Especially_ one that's been on da air for so long?"

"That _does_ sound like a good story..." Jessie remarked, slowly nodding her head.

"And trust me, ya two, dis..." Meowth pointed at the family reunion. "_Dis_ is da moment where we have our victory! Why? 'Cause we're Team Rocket! We're da ones who make da twoips prepare for trouble!"

James smiled in agreement. "And we _always_ make it double..."

"We protect the world from devastation!" exclaimed Jessie.

"And we unite all peoples within our nation!" James recited.

"We denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"We extend our reach to the stars above!"

Jessie shot up and did a pose. "Jessie!"

James did the same. "James!"

"Team Rocket, blast off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now, or prepare to fight!"

Meowth jumped between the two. "MEOWTH! Dat's right!"

"WOBBUFFET!" cried a certain Wobbuffet as he popped out of his Poké Ball while saluting.

* * *

Ash, Serena, and the others sweat-dropped as they stared disbelievingly at a certain nearby tree. They could clearly see the Team Rocket trio standing and doing a flashy pose, completely unaware of the fact that they were quickly noticed.

"Hey, I remember those uniforms," Tate said. "Isn't that-?"

"It's okay, Tate," Ash interrupted. "Just ignore them."

"Are you _sure_, Ash?" asked Liza. "If I remember correctly, last time we saw them, they destroyed our Gym."

"It's okay, you two. They're our friends."

"Your _friends_...?" Tate asked apprehensively.

"Yeah, we all go through this sort of routine every other day. They're not going to strike yet; they're just waiting for the perfect opportunity."

"Pika," Pikachu said, and the Mouse Pokémon nodded his head in agreement.

"In fact," Shauna added, "we're making a bet on how long Team Rocket will keep quiet before they make a scene."

"I think they're gonna wait until Auntie Emilia shows off her new Pokémon," Calem remarked.

"Ooh, a bet, huh?" Liza asked, her eyes sparkling with intrigue. "Count me in, count me in!"

"Ummm, are you sure about that, sis...?" Tate responded reluctantly. "What if they-?"

"Ohhhhhh, _relax_, will you, Tate?" Liza lightly slapped her twin brother on the back. "If Ash says they're cool, they're cool. Besides, if the others aren't worried even after seeing them up there, then they'll most likely be pushovers like last time, am I right?"

"Yeah, they're pretty much pushovers," Clemont replied.

"It's sad, really..." deadpanned Bonnie.

"Nenene..." Dedenne muttered in agreement.

Tate took one last glance at the tree and saw that Team Rocket had retreated back into their cover behind the leaves. He could faintly hear their enthusiasm and frenetic planning. Then, the Gym Leader shrugged dismissively.

"Yeah, I suppose," he said. Then, he heard the faint cry of a Wobbuffet, followed by the others trying to silence it. "Yeah, it _is_ sad..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, that marks the end of this chapter! With that, the story will be coming to an end in the next chapter! (Like I said in the previous chapter, it's a simple project; don't expect a lot of complexities here.)
> 
> Just like before, we met even more of Serena's extended family in this chapter. In case people didn't notice, here's a full list of which familiar characters were revealed to be related to Serena:
> 
> -Antonio was a minor recurring character who appeared in the "Best Wishes" series; he was one of the competitors in the Club Battle tournament and the Vertress Conference.
> 
> -Marnie and Paige appeared in the Sinnoh episode "Drifloon On the Wind!", where they were the two young daughters of a Nurse Joy based near the Valley Windworks.
> 
> -Rhonda was a recurring character who appeared in the "Diamond & Pearl" series; she was the Sinnoh Now reporter who kept getting head in the head by a boom microphone.
> 
> -Holly was Brock's partner and one-time love interest during the Hearthome City Tag Battle Competition in the "Diamond & Pearl" series. Her and Rhonda being mother and daughter was actually inspired by a fic called "The Champion is Never Forgotten" by Gerbilftw, which has been one of my all-time favorite shipping fics for quite a while. For those of you who also support AdvanceShipping and haven't heard of that fic, I recommend giving it a look-see.
> 
> -Benny appeared in the Johto episode "Tricks of the Trade", where he was the original Trainer of Jessie's Wobbuffet until he traded him for her Lickitung.
> 
> -Professor Malveaux appeared in the Unova episode "Crisis at Ferroseed Research!", where he was, as mentioned before, the director of the Ferroseed Research Institute that Ash, his friends, and Georgia went to.
> 
> -Annie appeared in the Johto episode "Wobbu-Palooza!", where she was a resident of Wobbuffet Village who had her own Wobbuffet accosted by some party-crashers.
> 
> -Charles and Linda appeared in the Unova episode "The Mighty Accelguard to the Rescue!", where they battled the villain Dr. Ferrara and his henchmen.
> 
> -Katie appeared in the Hoenn episodes "Shocks and Bonds" and "A Judgment Brawl", where she was Ash's opponent at that time in the Ever Grande Conference.
> 
> -McCauley and Mariah appeared in the Battle Frontier episode "A Chip Off The Old Brock", where they were employees at a pharmacy owned by Mariah's grandmother Katie (not related to the above Katie).
> 
> -Alice and Tonio were the supporting characters of the tenth movie "The Rise of Darkrai", which featured the Legendary Pokémon Darkrai, Dialga, and Palkia.
> 
> Whew! That was a lot of explaining and summarizing to do! Well, hope you enjoyed this chapter! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!


	3. Something to Always Remember Us By

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry this chapter took a little while for me to post, guys. This delay was all due to other commitments that I had both on this site, on other fanfic sites, and in real life. I had to contend with finals at college, not to mention working on chapters for other fics.
> 
> Fortunately, you don't have to worry about delays any longer, because this is going to be the final chapter. As I mentioned before in the opening Author's Note for the first chapter, this fic was meant to be three chapters and no more. We'll be wrapping everything up in this chapter, and after that, it'll be time to say sayonara to this project!
> 
> Okay, on with the chapter, everyone. ENJOY!

A clear, starry night was beginning to fall upon the rental property and aside from his awkward interactions with Dawson, Ash couldn't have asked for a better time at a formal party. He got to know even more of Serena's relatives, or rather, he became reacquainted with them in a sense. About ninety-five percent of the relatives he interacted with were people the Pallet Town native had already met before. Once the last rays of sunlight were glimmering over the horizon, painting the sky in a brilliant pinkish-orange hue, one thing became to clear to Ash.

Serena's family, while not powerful, wealthy, or influential as a whole, had a great and far-reaching presence from Kanto to Unova.

"Man, this is crazy," Ash finally said after collapsing on a folding chair. "You said you had so many relatives, Serena, and I was afraid I'd make a bad impression on them. Now, I'm afraid to find out how many of your relatives I know already."

"Well, you _have_ been traveling a lot, Ash," Serena replied sympathetically as she handed him a plastic cup of cold water. "Long before you met me, even."

"Met you for the second time."

Serena blushed faintly. "Yes, yes, that's right..."

"Seeing all of your relatives, realizing I know so many of them already, knowing all of that... It's got me thinking..."

Serena started to take a sip from her own cup of water. "Thinking about what?"

"Settling down." Ash looked at his girlfriend passionately, knowingly. "With you."

The honey-blonde spat out her water in surprise. "Wh-Wh-_What_?! S-Se-Settle down?!"

"Well...ye-_yeah_."

"Oh, w-wow!" Serena then composed herself and carefully put her cup down. "What about my relatives? What about 'em made you think about...y-you know, _that_?"

"Serena..."

Ash's voice trailed off for a moment. He watched as Serena pulled up another folding chair and sat down beside him. As soon as she was right next to him, the raven-haired Trainer started scanning the people partying and conversing outside. There were only thirty to forty people in the backyard, but they both knew there was a lot more relatives inside.

"Look at all of them, Serena," he finally said. "Look at your family."

Serena followed his gaze. "Yeah? It's a big family, I know. What about it?"

"That's the point, Serena. You...You have a big family...and I know so many of them already. It...It just makes me think about how long I've traveled, how far I've come since I got Pikachu..."

The two cast their gazes at Pikachu's direction; the Mouse Pokémon was currently playing with a multitude of Pokémon that belonged to Serena's relatives in addition to Serena's, Clemont's, Bonnie's, Calem's, and Shauna's. They took up a great section of the backyard and were doing various activities, such as chasing each other, loitering in the playgrounds, having small mock-battles, and even lazing about.

"I know," Serena replied. "It's been a while since we met for the second time in Kalos...since I first started traveling with you. For you, it's definitely longer than that."

"I've been to so many regions already," Ash remarked. "I think I may have lost count-"

"You've been to fifteen. Kanto excluded."

The Pallet Town native smiled. "I think that's about right."

"So..." Serena's eyes fell to the ground. "You're thinking about calling it quits? Your Pokémon journey?"

"I might as well. I'm spending less and less time in each new region I'm in. As magnificent as it is to meet new species of Pokémon, all the new encounters I could have, combined, can't even shine a candle to the experiences I share with you."

Serena blinked, astounded. "Wow, Ash... I'm...I'm _speechless_." Then, her brow furrowed with concern. "But what about-"

"Being a Pokémon Master?" Ash took a deep breath and continued staring at Serena's extended family. "Back when I was ten, I thought I knew what a Pokémon Master was. And boy, did I strive hard to become one. It was the dream and ideal of every ten-year-old boy and girl, after all. But as the years passed and I kept building up my experience, I realized the title of Pokémon Master has no set definition. My goal was never meant to be attainable. Now...all I can feel in the place of my childhood dream is my love and compassion for everyone in my life, and all the Pokémon in the world."

"Love and compassion for the people in your life..." Serena whispered.

"Mm-hm. And that includes you, Serena."

"W-Well, _obviously_." Still, Serena continued to express her apprehensiveness. "But...are you sure, Ash? Even if you don't want to be a Pokémon Master anymore, I know you _love_ traveling all around the world. Do you _really_ want to throw away the prospect of future adventures for _my_ sake?"

"I didn't mean it that way, Serena. Yes, I think I'm going to put my dream of becoming a Pokémon Master to rest. I think I'm going to stop traveling to a new region every year. But I'm not going to stop traveling in _general_. I just wanna settle down. Root myself to one place for much of the year. I think all of my travels have finally worn the adventurous side out of me."

The honey-blonde stared on in disbelief. "You're...You're serious?"

"I've never been more serious in my life, Serena."

"Huh." Serena's brain continued to process Ash's words. "You staying still in one place. W-Wow..."

"I know. Quite an image, huh?"

With that, Ash stood up from his folding chair...and knelt on his right knee in front of Serena. She felt her mind go blank at the unusual sight.

"But maybe if you're in that image, then I'm sure it'll be even more believable."

Serena stared on for a few more moments. Then, she started shaking her head slowly.

"No..." she said. "No, no, no, you did _not_..."

Then, to her immense surprise, Ash carefully undid his red-and-blue bow-tie, the one he had been so uncomfortable with in the beginning...and pulled out a glittering silver ring, topped with a sapphire as blue as her eyes.

"Oh. My. _Arceus_." Serena started to feel the sweat breaking out from her entire head. "You DID."

"Serena Gabena...will you marry me?"

...

...

...

"Are. You. _Serious_?" Serena asked slowly, an ambiguous expression filling her face as she lowered her head. "You... You had to pick _this_ occasion for you to pop the question...?"

"I-I'm sorry!" Ash stuffed the ring into his pocket, sweating profusely all of a sudden. "I'll-I'll... I'll, uh... I-I'll..."

He looked like he was about to start crying. Serena sighed and quickly said, "I didn't say 'no', Ash."

Ash looked at her, hope glimmering in his auburn eyes. "So that's a-?" he began.

"It's not a 'yes' either, Ash." Then, Serena's face went red in a split-second. "I-I mean, it...it could be- No, no, i-it is- No, no, no, I- Ahhhhh, Arceus!" She buried her face in her palms. "Why'd you have to propose _now_ of all days?!"

"Wh-When were you expecting me to p-propose?" Ash asked worriedly.

"I dunno! During some near-end-of-the-world scenario? While rescuing some endangered Pokémon?" The redness in her face started to recede. "At a romantic place during dinner, with a starry night over us..."

"Not during a family reunion," Ash concluded with realization.

Serena nodded slowly. "I'm sorry, Ash... I appreciate the thought and effort that went into all of that but...also, w-we've only been dating for eight months-"

"It doesn't matter, Serena. We've known and loved each other longer than that, and we both know it. You're the one for me, Serena Gabena, and this proposal couldn't wait any longer." Ash looked away guiltily. "But...obviously you wanted it to be a little more romantic. Not out-of-the-blue like this. I'm...I'm sorry-"

"No, don't be." Serena lifted her face and regarded her boyfriend with an angelic smile. "It's just like you to instantly act on your instincts and ask questions later. As much as I hate it, I also love it."

"But-"

"It's okay, Ash. If anything, _I_ should be the one apologizing. I shouldn't have had such high expectations for a proposal."

Still, Ash lowered his head somberly. "Still...I ruined the surprise..."

Serena frowned as she watched her boyfriend pout in misery. She hated seeing him like this. Then, she reached out and cupped his face in her hands, allowing her to direct his gaze towards her. They stared into each other's eyes so intensely that it made the both of them blush, but Serena maintained her composure to the best of her ability.

"Then I expect you to outdo even yourself during our wedding."

Ash's eyes widened with awe. "S-So...i-it's a-"

She placed an index finger over his lips, shushing him. "It's like you said, Ash. We've known and loved each other longer than that, and we both know it. So...it's automatically a yes." Before Ash could celebrate, however, the woman pressed her finger deeper onto his lips. "_But_! C-Can we wait a little while for the wedding? Like, maybe over a year? I...I want us to get to know each other as boyfriend and girlfriend for a while longer before we move on to the next step."

"S-Sure thing," Ash replied in a slight stutter. "Th-That sounds like a-a good plan..."

Serena lowered her finger and looked at her boyfriend curiously. "Honestly, Ash, what made you think this family reunion was the best opportunity for you to propose to me? You may be an instinctual guy, but I know there is still some method behind all of your madness."

"Well, I knew I had the blessing of your mother and Meyer ever since we told them we were dating." Ash cracked a grin. "And don't get me started on Clemont and Bonnie."

** _"I'm sorry, Serena. I wanna meet your family, I really do."_ **

** _"Then why do I get the feeling you don't?"_ **

** _"I wanna come, Serena! I swear, I do!"_ **

** _"You told me that for the past few weeks, but you can never keep a straight face whenever you tell me that. Every time. And you've been getting even more on edge with every passing day. Don't give me that look, Ash! Do you think I'm not watching you every day?"_ **

** _"Well... It's good to know I've always got an angel watching over me."_ **

"_That's_ why you were determined to come to this reunion..." Serena concluded as she cast her gaze back on her plethora of relatives. "You were hoping you'd get the blessing of everyone else."

"I thought it wouldn't be fair for everyone else in your family to be caught off-guard if- n-no, I'm sorry, w-_when_ this ever happened." Ash scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "I just wanted to know if anyone in your family would object."

"Then I guess this reunion answers your question."

"Yeah." Ash frowned with disappointment. "Only your Uncle Dawson disapproves."

"Hey, that's just one dissenter. Don't mind what he said back there, Ash. Plus, age is catching up to him, so I don't think his opinion truly counts-"

"But I was hoping to get everyone's approval by the end of this reunion..."

Serena sighed. "Now there's _another_ thing I both love and hate about you: your ambitiousness."

"I just don't want the wedding to be awkward or even tense-"

"Oh, Ash!" The honey-blonde embraced her boyfriend and kissed him on the lips, cutting him off for a few good seconds. "You're now occupying yourself with our wedding? Please, just focus on the here and now. We'll worry about the wedding when we get to it."

Ash took a deep breath and then smiled back. "Right. You're right, hon. I'm getting way too winded up by this. I'm going to follow your advice and focus on the here and now. Not some wedding that's gonna be over a year away-"

"Wedding?" a new voice asked.

Ash and Clemont looked sideways and saw Shauna standing a couple of feet away from them, holding drinks. Walking up to her from behind were Calem, Clemont, and Bonnie.

"What do you mean 'wedding'?" Shauna asked.

Immediately, Serena tore away from Ash and started hopping in the air with a gleeful squeal. Sensing something was on the horizon, Shauna put down her drinks, allowing Serena to clasp her friendly rival's hands.

"Shauna, you won't believe what just happened!" Serena cried.

"Lemme guess," Calem replied with a crafty grin. "Ash proposed to you."

...

...

...

Serena dejectedly released Shauna's hands. "Darn it, Calem... Why'd you have to ruin the surprise?"

Calem suddenly became alarmed. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, I was _right_?!"

"_Huh_?!" Clemont exclaimed before staring at Ash in wonder. "Ash, you...you _proposed_ to Serena?!"

Both Ash and Serena could vaguely hear the backyard fall silent, followed by hundreds and hundreds of eyes training on them. The awkwardness that had been developing over the both of them skyrocketed almost immediately.

"Yeah, pretty much..." replied Ash hesitantly.

...

...

...

...

...

A thunderous applause suddenly broke out in the backyard, joined by the chorus of Pokémon crying, roaring, and cawing with joy. Pikachu immediately sprinted towards his longtime friend, scurried up to his shoulder, and nuzzled his cheek as a sign of congratulations. Ash started sweating and chuckling nervously as Serena's extended family gathered all around his group, cheering and clapping with astounding approval.

"Oh. My. ARCEUS!" Bonnie cried, split-seconds before wrapping Serena in a hug. "Congratulations, Serena! You're gonna be a married woman!"

"Dedenne!" squeaked Dedenne, who was still perched on the young Trainer's shoulder.

"W-Wait, y-you _did_ say yes, right?" Clemont asked.

"Whaddaya _think_, Clemont?" Serena replied flatly.

Clemont sweat-dropped almost immediately. "Yeah, yeah, rhetorical question, I know..."

"GIRL!" squealed Shauna, the giddiness finally catching up to her. "I...I can't _believe_ it! You're gonna get _married_ now! A-And to Ash, of all people! Can't say I'm surprised, but nevertheless..." She clenched her fists in an unsuccessful effort to contain her excitement. "Ooh, girl, I'm so HAPPY for you! If only Miette, Nini, and Aria were here to see this-"

"Gee, I can imagine it already..." Serena replied as she started to bitterly think about a certain blue-haired Performer.

"Now if only Calem can move his butt along and catch up with Ash, that'd be perfect!"

"Okay," Calem deadpanned while giving his girlfriend a confused glare, "now how the heck am I supposed to surprise you with a marriage proposal now?"

Shauna shrugged dismissively. "Well, you can start now, for starters."

"B-B-But...you're already _expecting_ it to happen! How am I supposed to surprise you if we all know you're already aware of the surprise?!"

"Okay, can we forget about that for one sec?!" Natasha cried. "'Cause Rena, you're about to get _married_! Oh, my gosh!"

"Congratulations, Serena," said one of the Nurse Joys while giving the honey-blonde a thumbs-up. "Ash is going to be an excellent husband, I can guarantee it."

"You'd better not disappoint her, Ash!" Rhoder called while cracking his knuckles. "As you can already tell, she's got a lot of guys vouching for her! We'll hunt you down if you make her cry in any way!"

"Oh, come on, Cousin Rhoder!" Serena cried, her face flushed with embarrassment. "Don't scare Ash off like that!"

"Nah, I'm just kiddin'! I know you two are gonna be happy for the rest of your lives!" Then, the young man frowned with disappointment. "Now, if only I can just get myself a girlfriend..."

"What's a girlfriend?" a voice asked innocently.

Serena looked down and saw Faith and Joy walking up to her, confused to see all of the commotion. Faith's Spritzee and Joy's Swirlix were hovering right behind them. Serena smiled and knelt down to face the twin girls.

"Faith, Joy," she said, "remember when you asked when I was gonna marry Ash?"

Both girls nodded vigorously at the same time. "Uh-huh!"

"Well, Ash just popped the question...and I said yes!"

Faith tilted her head in confusion. "What question?"

"He asked me if I could marry him."

"_Ohhhhh_," both girls responded at the same time. Then, they connected the dots. "You said yes?!"

The woman nodded. "Mm-hm!"

"HOORAY!" Faith cried while hopping up and down.

"About time," added Joy.

Faith then approached Ash and innocently smiled up at him. "Ashy! Be sure to ask the Swanna to deliver lots and lots of girls, 'kay?! We wanna play Showcases with them!"

Ash chuckled and rubbed the back of his head. "I'll, uh, I'll be sure to mention that..."

Calem chuckled. "Looks like you've got a lot of work ahead of you, Ash."

The raven-haired man sweat-dropped. "Please don't rush me. Serena and I aren't gonna be married till another year."

"Another year?" Linda asked. "Why another year?"

"Well, we _have_ been dating for only eight months."

"Eight _months_?" Cliff asked. "And _now_ you're getting married?" He then looked at Serena. "Hey, aren't you kinda rushing into this a lil' _too_ quickly?"

"It's one of those star-crossed lover stories..." Bonnie replied, swooning dramatically.

"Di-Didn't my mom tell you how I met Ash?" Serena asked hesitantly.

"Oh, yeah!" exclaimed Melodi. "I heard my aunt say you knew and loved Ash since the two of you were kids!"

"Well," replied Cliff, "now that you put it that way-"

"That's _sooooo_ romantic!" Elisa cried before slyly nudging Hal with her elbow. "Sounds a little like us, don'tcha think?"

"Ye-_Yeah_..." Hal replied sheepishly.

At that moment, Tate and Liza broke through the wall of relatives, their faces pink with excitement. Tate took Ash's hand and shook it vigorously, while Liza embraced Serena in a tight hug.

"Congratulations, Ash," Tate said. "It's nice to know you'll be a part of the family now."

"Tha-Thanks..." Ash replied while sheepishly scratching his cheek with his other hand. Then, he was surprised when Tate pulled him in with the handshake. "Uhhhhh...Tate? Wh-What's up?"

"Take good care of Serena, Ash," the Gym Leader whispered. "Look... I, uh...I don't wanna make this awkward for you or Serena, but, uh...I've had a crush on her for a lil' while..."

"Wh-What?!"

"Shhhh! Look, don't worry about it!" Tate took a deep breath. "Listen here, Serena's a beautiful woman. A lotta guys will have their eyes on her. Hold on to her tightly, okay?"

Ash hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Of course."

"Good." Tate broke away from Ash. "Thank you, Ash."

"You're welcome." Then, Ash chuckled. "I-It's...It's weird to know I'll be related to the Mossdeep Gym Leaders..."

"You still haven't met the entire family, Ash," Calem piped up. "If I can recall, we've got a couple more Gym Leaders, an Elite Four member, and a Frontier Brain in our family tree-"

"Oh, you gotta be kidding me!"

Meanwhile, Liza had begun sobbing into Serena's shoulder as she continued to hug her. "Ohhhhh, _Serena_!" she squealed in a mixture of grief and joy. "I know we haven't seen each other much, but I wanna let you know that I'm so, _so_, SOOO proud of you! I always have been!"

"G-Gee, Liza...th-thank you..." Serena replied, stunned by Liza's bursting emotion.

"And I just wanna say...I'm sorry for not playing with you when we were kids! I noticed you were always alone or hangin' around with Calem only during these reunions!"

The Performer's eyes widened. "Oh no, Liza! It's okay! Y-You don't have to apologize-"

"But I have to! I always thought you were a little weird and out-of-place as a girl."

Serena blinked, unable to recall how she was weird when she was younger. "O-_Okay_..."

"But now, you've come such a long way from that! You're now such a nice and generous and beautiful and pretty woman and-!" Liza hiccuped awkwardly. "I-If I weren't so straight, I'd...I'd fall for you in an instant-"

"_Okaaaaay_, Liza." Serena chuckled. "I'm flattered, I really am, _buuut_ it's getting a lil' awkward now..."

"Ohhhhh, I'm sorry! I just...I just can't believe you're getting married already while I'm still single!" Liza instantly broke the hug and raised her clenched fists in determination. "That means I gotta try harder and find a boyfriend for myself! I am NOT gonna end up like Auntie Nicola and be a has-been who missed her chance at settling down!"

"Okay, okay!" Serena smiled again and raised her palms in an attempt to calm the Gym Leader. "Settle down there, Liza! You're not gonna get a boyfriend and be married if you force yourself like that."

"Wait, what's this about marriage?" a familiar voice suddenly asked.

Ash and Serena went rigid as Grace and Meyer maneuvered their way through the crowd around them. Ash could feel his head grow as hot as a Camerupt's back as Serena's mother and stepfather regarded him with suspicious stares.

"What's up with the crowd?" Meyer asked, surveying all of the relatives with intrigue. "Did something happen?"

"If Uncle Dawson's acting up again," said Grace in exasperation, "I swear to _Arceus_ I'll-"

"M-Mom, i-t's not like that!" Serena interrupted. "I-It's just...w-well-"

"Serena and Ash are getting married!" Bonnie squeaked with bursting enthusiasm.

"Nene!" Dedenne squeaked.

"Pika!" added Pikachu.

"Oh, cool," replied Grace.

...

...

...

Something didn't add up in Grace's mind. "Wait, come again, Bonnie?"

"Ash proposed to Serena and she said yes!" the Trainer replied.

"Oh. C-Can you repeat that a-again...?"

"_Mom_," Serena said forcefully, catching the former jockey's attention, "Ash and I are getting married. He just popped the question and I said yes."

"N-Not exactly," Ash said, "but-"

"The point is, well, it's official. We're getting married."

...

...

...

Grace collapsed, and Meyer caught her just in the nick of time.

"Oh, my Arceus!" the electrician cried.

"MOM?!" screamed Serena.

"Quick!" Calem called. "Someone get a cold towel!"

"Pika!" Pikachu squeaked with concern.

* * *

Fortunately, Grace wasn't unconscious for very long. After about a couple of minutes, she was revived after a towel of ice was applied to her forehead and a couple of Serena's other relatives started fanning her. Once she got a sip of cool water and sat up, the former Rhyhorn racer faced Ash and Serena, who were sheepishly sitting on chairs before her.

"You have my blessing," she said.

"Wait, what?" Ash squeaked before being elbowed by Serena.

"_Ash_!" the honey-blonde snapped in a hushed voice. "I thought you knew you'd have her blessing?"

"We-Well, I didn't tell anyone that I-I'd be pr-proposing to you! I thought it'd be a given...a-and I got a little scared when she fainted-"

"What you did is automatically better than what Serena's father did, Ash," Grace interrupted. "One magical night after a very long Rhyhorn race...and that was it." She leaned forward and gave the Pallet Town native an approving smile. "You don't have to worry about my blessing, Ash. Know that you've _always_ had it. The parent you probably should be worried about is Meyer."

Ash gulped and looked up at the electrician...who was towering over him with a dark expression.

"You have my blessing too, Ash," he growled in an uncharacteristic tone that made the Trainer's skin scrawl. "_But_...if you make my little Serena cry in any way, I'll make sure my Blaziken fries you where the Sun doesn't shine."

Ash felt like someone had punched him in the gut. Meanwhile, Grace shot her husband a flat look.

"_My little Serena_?" the jockey repeated. "Meyer, you've only known Serena since she was seventeen."

Meyer dropped his stern exterior and sweat-dropped. "W-Well, I-I feel like I've known her longer than that!"

Many in the room started laughing at Meyer's embarrassment, Clemont and Bonnie included. As for Grace, she dropped her dissatisfied demeanor and let out a soft chuckle.

"Well," she said, "it's really nice that you care so much for Serena, honey...but she's a young woman now." She looked at her daughter approvingly. "She can definitely take care of herself, especially when it comes to men."

Serena smiled lovingly at her mother. "Thank you, Mom..."

Grace smiled sweetly. "You're welcome, dear. I wish you the very best on your wedding."

"Oooooooh, what's this I hear about a _wedding_?" an older, elegant voice asked.

Everyone immediately parted, allowing Emilia to pass through. She was closely followed by her Stoutland Landis and (to Ash's dismay) Dawson.

"I do love weddings," Emilia continued warmly. "Although...I must admit the news of another wedding in this family has caught me off-guard. Who is the lucky bride- and groom-to-be?"

Serena quickly raised her hand, followed by a slow, sheepish one from Ash. Emilia's eyes widened with delight, and even Landis looked interested, but an ambiguous expression quickly swept over Dawson's face.

"My, my, and to think it would be the lovely Serena!" Emilia cried. She clasped her hands together in joy and scanned the couple from head to toe. "Not bad, not _baaad_, I must say! I can see you two are already a perfect match for each other! A match made in the heavens, even! But who am I to judge?! Of course we shall let fate and Arceus decide the course of your future and that of your fiancé, Serena!"

"Tr-Trust me, A-Auntie Emilia," Serena replied, slightly overwhelmed by the old lady's theatricality, "I think Ash and I are gonna be just fine."

"Ahhhhh, splendid! I do love the joys of a blooming romance between young adults!" Then, the lady's eyes lit up. "Ohhh, and speaking of _blooming_..." She snapped her fingers, catching Landis's attention. "Landis, do be a dear and find my red purse, will you? I can never seem to find it nowadays."

Landis nodded, lowered its nose to the floor, and walked off, sniffing furiously. Ash and Serena watched it go for a quick moment before Emilia started speaking again.

"What do you think, Dawson? Serena is getting married to that boyfriend that she's proudly gushed of for so long! Isn't this magnificent news or what?"

To the dismay of not only Ash and Serena, but everyone else in their group, Dawson looked absolutely befuddled by the development. He leaned towards Ash to get a closer look.

"Who're you?" he asked. "I don't recall inviting you-"

"Uncle Dawson," Serena interrupted forcefully, "I've introduced you to him twice before. This is my _boyfriend_ Ash. I'm..." She took a deep breath. "I'm marrying him."

"Eh? Ashton?"

"It's _Ash_, sir," Ash corrected. "Ash Ketchum-"

"Ashton Ketchup, huh?" The older man shook his head with apparent sympathy. "A little word of advice, kid: have a talk with your parents about that-"

"It's _Ash Ketchum_, sir."

"That's what I said. Ashton Ketchup."

"Da-Dawson," Grace said, standing up before the situation could escalate, "why don't I, uhhhhh, go get you some of your favorite Sinnohan cuisine? I'll-"

"Uncle Dawson," Ash interrupted, standing up from his seat, "with all due respect, _sir_...you can drop the act."

"Drop the...Drop the _act_?!" Serena squeaked. She shot up from her own seat and clutched Ash's arm. "Ash, wh-what are you _doing_?! B-Be respectful-"

"Ehhhhh, it's too _loud_-" Dawson tried to say, but Ash cut him off.

"Uncle Dawson, you nearly had me there, but you can't fool me anymore. Just tell me the truth."

"Ash, what the heck are you _talking_ about?!" wheezed Serena.

"Serena, I have met enough old people during my travels to tell the difference between actual senility and faking it. And I now know your Uncle Dawson's in the second group." Ash crossed his arms as he stared down the older gentleman. "If you have a problem with me, Uncle Dawson, just say it."

Everyone else stared incredulously at Dawson, who stared back at Ash with a blank, confused face. Then, his expression slackened...and a defeated sigh escaped his lips.

"So you figured it out, kiddo," he said. "Gotta say, I'm surprised. You never struck me as one of the bright types."

"Ho-Hold on a minute!" Grace cried. "Uncle Dawson, you've been getting people's names wrong for _weeks_! Are...Are you telling me-?"

"All part of the plan, my dear Grace." The man bowed his head apologetically at his other relatives. "I am so, so sorry for inconveniencing you all with my purported slippage in memory, but it was all part of my test. I had to make my behavior for tonight's event seem legitimate."

"T-_Test_?!" Serena exclaimed, outraged. "You...You've been testing Ash this whole time?!"

Dawson looked at Serena guiltily. "To see if he was worthy of my little Rena..."

...

"W-Well," Clemont said, "th-that _would_ explain how Uncle Dawson was still able to rent this, uh, _pretty_ huge property."

"And the chauffeurs who were _totally_ not Team Rocket!" added Bonnie, who was staring cautiously out of the window. "Y-Yeah, totally not Team Rocket!"

"Plus the high-quality catering," Calem interjected.

"If he really was starting to get senile," continued Clemont, "then he wouldn't be entrusted with handling these kinds of responsibilities." Then, he realized something and started waving his hands in alarm. "Oh, my goodness! All the things I said during this party, you must've heard them, Uncle Dawson! I'm really, really sorry!"

"It's okay, my dear boy," Dawson replied.

"I can't believe this!" Serena clutched her hair. "How...How does a marriage proposal turn into me finding out my senile old uncle wasn't senile after all?!" She then glared at all of the relatives present in the room, her sapphire-blue pupils on fire in their accusatory stare. "Was anyone in on this?! There's no way Uncle Dawson could've pulled this shenanigan off on his own!"

There was a brief silence before Emilia raised her hand. "I'm afraid that would be me, darling..."

"_What_?!"

"You gotta be kidding me..." Grace added with disbelief.

"But I am not, Grace," Emilia replied shamefully. "Remember, _I_ was the first one to tell you, to tell _everyone_ in this room that Dawson's grip on his mental faculties was slipping."

"Rest assured, my dear, it was never my intent to hurt your feelings by doing this." The lady then shot a piercing glare at Dawson, who recoiled at her gaze. "I kept telling your Uncle Dawson how improper and _wasteful_ it would be of him to go through these great lengths, all for the sake of testing your boyfriend, but...by _golly_ was he particularly stubborn in this regard!"

"When I heard Rena was had begun dating someone," Dawson explained, "I made it my mission to ensure her potential significant other would not be capable of hurting her in any way. I'm well aware of how lenient Meyer is as a father-"

"I'm gonna pretend I didn't hear that..." deadpanned Meyer.

"And Rena has always been such a small, fragile flower, just like my..." Dawson choked a little on his sentence. "Just like my dearly departed wife. If she were to be betrayed in any way, she would've been absolutely _devastated_! As part of the family, I had to make sure that would never come to pass!"

"Well then, why didn't you just ask Ash a bunch of questions?!" Serena snapped disbelievingly.

"My dear, time and time again have I seen people lie to each other with the straightest of faces. And my concerns aren't as simple as knowing if your boyfriend fit a certain criteria. I needed to test all of the limits he had, see if he could reach my expectations and even go beyond. I couldn't do that with a simple interrogation. So..." He bowed his head guiltily. "I had to resort to...more _devious_ measures..."

"Uncle Dawson, sir..." Ash said, the Trainer standing firm and tall before the gentleman, "I deeply appreciate the concern you have Serena, and the efforts you went through to make sure I was worthy of her. But I promise you, I love Serena. I love her from the bottom of my heart, and I would never, _ever_ do anything that would hurt her in any way, intentionally or unintentionally. I prioritize Serena over anything else. In fact, I've decided to give up traveling around the world like I usually do and make plans to settle down with her."

"W-Wait a minute!" Clemont exclaimed. "You're...You're not gonna _travel_ anymore?"

"Pika?" Pikachu asked, the Mouse Pokémon looking just as perplexed as the inventor.

Ash nodded. "That's right. I've decided it's time for me to stay in one place for most of my time. I'm gonna get a job and start a family with Serena. That is my new goal in life. I want to be happy with her, and I want her to be happy with me."

"Oh, my Arceus..." Liza said. "That is..." Her eyes started to shimmer with awe. "So _romantic_..."

"What about being a Pokémon Master, Ash?" Calem asked curiously.

"Well," Ash replied, "long story short, Calem, I'm gonna give up on that dream. I mean, I've seen enough of the world to feel like it has already been fulfilled."

"So...you're willing to lay down what you desired the most in exchange for a quiet life with Serena?" Dawson asked, his brow furrowed.

"Well, not _that_ quiet." Ash stared out of the window. "The owner of the Battle Frontier, Scott, once offered me a position as a Frontier Brain. That offer's been on the table for a long time, and I heard he's recently had an interest in setting up Battle Frontier facilities here in Kalos. I think I'll give him a call soon."

"Well," Clemont replied, "whatever you do, Ash, know that you'll _always_ have my full support."

"And mine too!" Bonnie cried in agreement.

"Dedenne!" Dedenne squeaked.

"Pika!" added Pikachu.

With the widest and gentlest of smiles, Serena took Ash's hand. "And know that I will follow you down whatever path you choose to take, no matter how long and winding that path may be..." She then shot a scathing look at Dawson. "And no matter how judgmental some people may be."

Ash looked at his fiancée and smiled back at her. "Thank you, Serena."

The two lovers stared at each other for the longest time, drawing an "Awwwwww!" from many of Serena's relatives. After a couple of minutes, though, Dawson still did not look placated by Ash's words. But before he could say anything, Landis returned to the room, a purse dangling delicately from its gentle mouth.

"My, my, Landis!" Emilia exclaimed as she took the purse from Landis's mouth. "That was three minutes! A new record!"

Landis merely let out a low rumble in appreciation. Meanwhile, Bonnie's eyes shone at the beautiful but expensive purse.

"Ooh, what's that?!" she asked enthusiastically.

"Why, my new Pokémon, my dear!" replied Emilia.

"Your new Pokémon?!" Ash exclaimed, his interest immediately piqued.

"Indeed! Now that nighttime has fallen, it is time for me to present the encore for this lovely reunion! Now, could I have some volunteers? Six, to be precise?"

Tate, Liza, Priscilla, Hal, Linda, and a Nurse Joy stepped forward. At Emilia's direction, they reached into the purse...and pulled out one Luxury Ball each.

"So it's not just _a_ new Pokémon," Clemont remarked with realization. "It's _six_ new Pokémon!"

Emilia reached into the purse and quickly produced a seventh Luxury Ball. "Guess again, my dear!"

"_Wow_..." Ash said. "I can't wait to see what kind of Pokémon you've got, Emilia!"

"Well, I wouldn't say it's anything too special, but for tonight's occasion, I think this species would be wholly appropriate. Now then, everyone, let's-"

She was cut off when eight mechanical arms burst through the doorway, their pincers almost squealing with the creaking noises. One by one, seven of them plucked the Luxury Balls out of Emilia, Tate, Liza, Priscilla, Hal, Linda, and Nurse Joy's hands, while the eighth and final arm snatched Pikachu from Ash's shoulder.

"PIKACHU!" Ash cried.

"PIKAPI!" Pikachu squealed back.

All eight arms quickly withdrew back outside, and the entire family flooded out into the backyard to follow them. Almost immediately, they saw the twelve-foot mecha towering over the tables and decorations, the ever-so-familiar magenta 'R' stamped proudly on its chest.

"Heh, guess I won the bet," Calem said with a smirk.

"_Huh_?!" Shauna cried in disbelief. "Th-They didn't even see what the new Pokémon is, Calem!"

"Why're we arguing about this?!" cried Emilia. "We must get back my precious lovelies!"

_**"Oooooh, precious lovelies, you say?"**_ a voice echoed from the speakers mounted on its shoulders.

At that moment, a dome-shaped protrusion, located where the head should be, opened up, and everyone watched as a familiar trio rose from within the mecha, most likely with a platform. The moon shone brightly upon the trio, temporarily obscuring most of their features and reducing them to mysterious silhouettes.

"Oh, boy..." Bonnie said with a roll of her eyes. "Here we go again..."

"Prepare for trouble!" Jessie recited.

"And make it double!" called James.

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all peoples within our nation!"

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

Jessie did a pose. "Jessie!"

James did the same. "James!"

"Team Rocket, blast off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now, or prepare to fight!"

Meowth jumped between the two. "MEOWTH! Dat's right!"

"WOBBUFFET!" cried a certain Wobbuffet as he popped out of his Poké Ball while saluting.

Everyone could've sworn they saw a magenta 'R' materializing behind the trio for a split-second.

...

...

...

...

...

"Hey, guys," Ash greeted casually.

"Oh, hey main twerp!" James replied, his villainous exterior vanishing in an instant.

"How's da party?" asked Meowth with a fanged smile.

"Oh, it's good!" replied Ash. "Great, even! You should try out the catering!"

"Ooh, is that a food recommendation I hear?" Jessie asked, her eyes shining with intrigue.

"Yeah!" Serena called. "My Uncle Dawson hired the best catering company there is in Kalos! Five-star rating, ten years in a row!"

"Ohhhhh, I can feel my stomach tinglin' already!" Meowth exclaimed.

Meanwhile, all of Serena's relatives were looking at one another in utter confusion.

"Uhhhhh...what's happening right now...?" Melodi asked.

"They stole Auntie Emilia's Pokémon..." remarked Cliff, "and now they're just _chatting_ with Serena and her friends...l-like they're _friends_?"

"Relax, everyone," Tate said, catching the attention of the others.

"Serena, Ash, and the others said they're cool," added Liza. "And if they're cool...well, they're cool, I guess."

Meanwhile, the surprisingly casual conversation continued.

"Oh, by the way, you guys!" Serena called. "Ash just popped the question! We're getting married!"

Jessie and James gasped with awe, while Meowth's jaw dropped open with shock.

"A _wedding proposal_?!" Jessie exclaimed. "Oh, how romantic! Thanks for letting us know, twerpette!"

"Hey, congratulations, main twerp!" James called. "I always knew you two would be together in the end!"

Ash chuckled and awkwardly rubbed the back of his head. "Gee, thanks, you guys..." he replied.

"Hey!" Meowth cried. "Dis calls for a new motto!"

"Ooh, indeed!" replied Jessie.

With that, the three went into new poses, the theatricality of it all amplified by the shining, golden moonlight. Everyone else, even the still-ensnared Pikachu, watched.

"Prepare for trouble," Jessie recited, "'cause a proposal has just been made!"

"And make it double," called James, "for this love can never fade!"

"To protect the world from a bad ceremony!"

"To unite our favorite twerps within matrimony!"

"To denounce the evils of unfaithfulness and divorce!"

"To extend our reach to everlasting love, of course!"

Jessie did a pose. "Jessie!"

James did the same. "James!"

"Team Rocket, asking you twerps for an invitation!"

"Please accept our request, or witness our ruination!"

Meowth jumped between the two. "MEOWTH! Dat's, uhhhhhhh..." The tune was suddenly broken as he looked at his two teammates. "Can't tink of a woyd dat rhymes wit ruination..."

"WOBBUFFET?!" Wobbuffet cried with surprise.

Jessie and James glared down at the Scratch Cat Pokémon.

"Are you _serious_, Meowth?!" Jessie cried.

"You just ruined our signature rhythm!" added James.

"And we had a really good motto going too!"

"Hey, don't blame me!" Meowth replied. "Ya guys should ave told me we'd be doin' a new motto tonight! Do ya have any idea how hard it is ta find woyds that rhyme wit other woyds?!"

"Well, because of _your_ screw-up," Jessie said, "we're _never_ gonna get invited to the wedding now!"

"Guys, guys, _guys_!" Ash called. "It's okay; you guys are invited!"

The trio looked at him with happiness. "We...We ARE?!" they cried all at once.

"Well, of course!" Serena replied. "You guys are gonna just crash the wedding anyway, so we might as well-"

"YAY!" the trio cried; Jessie and James hugged each other, while Meowth jumped high in the air in triumph.

"Uhhhhh...just so you guys know, we won't be holding the wedding until another year at most-"

"It doesn't matter!" James exclaimed, cutting Serena off. "There'll be free food!"

"And romantic declarations of love!" added a swooning Jessie.

"And most of all..." began Meowth.

"LOTS OF POKEMON TO STEAL!" the entire trio completed simultaneously.

"WOOOOOBBUFFET!" Wobbuffet cried while saluting.

"Yeah, speaking of which..." Ash suddenly said while crossing his arms.

"Whaddaya mean?" Meowth asked before noticing Pikachu, who had his arms crossed while still within the clutches of the robotic arm. "Oh, yeah! Almost forgot! Let's get back on wit da show!"

"Yeah, that's right," James replied.

"How rude of us to celebrate in the middle of our obligatory scheme and inevitable blast-off," added Jessie.

Serena's relatives all looked at one another in confusion.

"Alright, then!" Ash exclaimed cheerily. "Now that we're back on track..." His expression suddenly became serious. "Give back Pikachu and the other Pokémon now, Team Rocket!"

"HA!" Jessie replied haughtily. "In your dreams, twerp!"

"We're gonna make a lot of _bank_ with these catches!" added James.

"Pikachu!" Ash called. "Use Thunderbolt!"

"Pikaaaaa..." The Mouse Pokémon unleashed bolts of electricity. "CHUUUUU!"

However, instead of flying out in all directions, the electricity flowed harmlessly through the robotic arm that held Pikachu and went straight into the mecha. As it continued to flow, a row of lightbulb-like protrusions encircling the mecha's body started to glow yellow. Team Rocket immediately burst out into laughter.

"Haven't you learned, twerp?!" James asked. "This brand-new baby will absorb Pikachu's electricity and use it as an extra power source!"

"Yeah," Bonnie deadpanned, "just like your last hundred or so robots. How _original_."

"Nenene..." Dedenne added blankly.

"Hey!" snapped Jessie. "Don't you DARE patronize us, mini-twerpette!"

"I'll have you know I spent a good deal of money on this robot!" James added, the blue-haired man clearly affronted by Bonnie's words.

"With all that money you've spent over the years," replied Bonnie with a sly smirk, "I'm surprised you guys haven't gone fully broke. Just where do you get more money when you're not trying to catch Pikachu and other Pokémon? We all know your moneymaking schemes are just as big of a failure as your Pokémon-napping schemes!"

"We happen to juggle a bunch of part-time jobs on the side, for your information," snarled Jessie.

"Yeah!" Meowth added. "We don't need da input of a little girl!"

Bonnie puffed her cheeks angrily in response. "HEY! I'm not a little girl anymore! In case you three forgot, I'm a Trainer now!"

The trio stared at her in silence for a moment before bursting into laughter.

"Oh, yeah!" Jessie cried. "_Now_ I remember!"

"You had that tiny little Squirtle that could only shoot Water Gun!" James exclaimed. "It never stood a chance against our robot!"

"Dat was _so_ funny, just seeing it douse da robot's toe wit dat lil' squirt!" Meowth cackled.

Bonnie puffed out her cheeks even more. "Ohhhhh, I'll show you!" she cried. With that, she reached into her old satchel and pulled out three Poké Balls. "Come on out, everyone!"

She threw the Poké Balls into the air, unleashing a Tyrantrum, a Skiddo, and a Wartortle. They all cried and roared at the sight of Team Rocket's mecha. As for Dedenne, he hopped off Bonnie's shoulder and stood in front of the trio, his cheeks sparkling with electricity. Team Rocket stared down at the quartet, taken aback by the team Bonnie had amassed.

"Uhhhhh...is that a _Tyrantrum_...?" Jessie asked.

"Where in the world did she get _that_?!" cried James.

"And wat about dat Wartortle?!" Meowth exclaimed. "Is-Is dat da-?"

"Yeah, you guessed it!" Bonnie snapped. "That's the same tiny little Squirtle that could only shoot Water Gun! But since that time, it's gotten a lot stronger!"

"Oh, yeah?!"

Meowth raised a remote and pressed the single red button on it. With that, the platform Team Rocket was standing upon lowered itself, allowing the trio to retreat into the safety of their mecha.

_**"Prove it!"**_ the three taunted through a single voice amplified by unseen speakers.

"With pleasure!" Bonnie pointed at the mecha. "Wartortle, use Hydro Pump!"

The Turtle Pokémon fired a powerful blast of water at the mecha, dousing its entire body. However, the attack wasn't big enough to send the robot toppling. Once Wartortle stopped firing, it was clear that all the Hydro Pump did was make the robot wet.

_**"HAHAHAHAHA!"**_ Jessie cackled.

_**"Tanks for da free car wash!"**_ Meowth called.

But Bonnie was still smiling. "Haven't you learned Team Rocket?!" she replied confidently. "Your brand-new baby may be able to absorb Pikachu's electricity, buuuuut..."

The water continued to drip down the mecha's body, and the robot itself was gleaming from the moonlight refracting off the droplets. Team Rocket immediately realized what Bonnie did.

_**"Oh, no..."**_ said James.

_**"Quick, quick!"**_ yelled Meowth. _**"We need ta get dried off!"**_

Ash grinned with realization. "Pikachu, use Thunderbolt again!" he ordered.

"_Pikaaaaa_..." The Mouse Pokémon unleashed bolts of electricity. "**CHUUUUU**!"

This time, instead of being absorbed harmlessly by the mecha, the electricity sparkled and crackled all across the robot's frame. Through the speakers, the group could hear Team Rocket comically screaming in pain. Pikachu's attack ceased in seconds, but the electricity continued to fizzle on the mecha. In its stunned state, the robot wobbled over, and the eight arms released their grips on Pikachu and Emilia's Luxury Balls, allowing them all to fall to the ground.

"Pika!" Pikachu cried with joy.

"Pikachu!" Ash exclaimed as he caught his partner Pokémon. "You alright there, buddy?"

"Pika, pikapi!"

"Quick!" Emilia yelled. "Catch them!"

She, along with Tate, Liza, Priscilla, Hal, Linda, and Nurse Joy, sprinted forward and caught one Luxury Ball each. Emilia checked all eight of them for a quick moment before sighing with relief.

_**"GAH!"**_ Jessie yelled. _**"NO! I wanted to see what kind of beautiful and exotic new Pokémon the old lady had!"**_

_**"You're still on about beauty and exoticism?"**_ James asked flatly. _**"I'm pretty sure that lady has a powerful and rare Pokémon in her possession!"**_

_ **"Oh, what makes you think ** _ **that_, James_** _ **?! It's pretty obvious that a cultured woman like her would go for a beautiful and exotic Pokémon, just like the Boss!"** _

_ **"** _ **Nooooooo** _ **, remember what I said, Jess! The Boss prefers powerful and rare Pokémon! I heard those words coming from his mouth myself!"** _

_ **"In your dreams! Beauty and exoticism are the Boss's themes!"** _

_ **"No, it's ** _ **power** _ ** and ** _ **rarity** _ **!"** _

** _"Beauty and exoticism!"_ **

** _"Power and rarity!"_ **

**_"_Beauty and exoticism_!"_**

**_"_Power and rarity_!"_**

** _"BEAUTY AND EXOTICISM!"_ **

** _"POWER AND RARITY!"_ **

Meanwhile, Ash, Serena, and the others in their group listened in on Jessie and James's bickering, all the while struggling to contain their laughter.

"Jeez, listen to those two!" Clemont exclaimed.

"Huh," said Serena. "I wonder if Ash and I are gonna bicker over silly things like that..."

"Well," Ash replied, "whatever we fight over, it can't get any sillier than what those two are arguing about."

_**"HEY!"**_ snapped Jessie.

_**"We heard that, you twerps!"**_ James cried.

_ **"You should show a little more respect towards your future wedding guests!"** _

_ **"WILL YA SHUT YER TRAPS?! WE GOT A PIKACHU AND SOME RARE POKEMON TA STEAL, 'MEMBER?!"** _

_ **"WOOOOOBBUFFET!"** _

This time, it was Meowth who spoke. An awkward silence came out of the mecha's speakers, and Ash, Serena, and all of the others looked at one another, wondering what was about to come next.

Finally, James replied, _**"Yes, you're right, Meowth..."**_

_**"All's fair in the Pokémon-napping and stealing!"**_ exclaimed Jessie.

_**"Good!"**_ Meowth said approvingly. _**"Now dat we're all in agreement..."**_

The mecha charged towards Ash's group as the trio yelled simultaneously, _**"LET'S GET 'EM!"**_

"Oh, no you don't!" Bonnie cried. "I've got one last trick up my sleeve! Go, Squishy!"

"Wait, _Squishy_?!" Ash, Serena, and Clemont all exclaimed at the same time.

The green, shapeless blob leaped out of Bonnie's satchel and started glowing brightly. Within seconds, green beams from all directions started pelting the blob until it grew and formed into the shape of a dog.

"Whoa!" Clemont exclaimed. "I...I thought you had to leave Squishy behind when it detected a disturbance in the region a few weeks ago?"

"Well, thanks to it," Bonnie replied, "the crisis has been averted! We were gonna surprise you guys later in the party, but I guess now's a good time to show you all Squishy's new power!"

"Dedenne!" Dedenne squeaked with triumph.

"Squishy's new power...?" Ash repeated with interest.

"Pika?" Pikachu added.

"Uh-huh!" Bonnie pointed at Team Rocket's mecha. "Now, Squishy! Use Thousand Waves!"

"Nenene!" Dedenne squeaked cheerfully.

"_Thousand Waves_?!" Ash's group cried all at once.

Squishy growled and stomped its front paws down on the ground, causing it to explode underneath the mecha in a flash of green light and nearly topple it over in the process. Then, the rubble magically swirled around the mecha and wrapped tightly around its body, holding it in a vice-like grip so powerful that cracks already started to appear on its frame.

_**"Wh-What?!"**_ James exclaimed. _**"What is this?!"**_

"Alright!" exclaimed Bonnie. "Now, let's do the thing we've spent these last few weeks training to do, Squishy!"

Squishy nodded before manipulating the coil of rubble into throwing Team Rocket's mecha high into the air.

_**"AAAAAGGGGGHHHHH!"**_ the trio screamed in terror.

"Guess you've got something to learn from this little girl!" Bonnie called before pointing at the airborne mecha. "Squishy, use Thousand Arrows!"

Squishy immediately fired a single large beam of green energy from its mouth. As it sailed straight towards the mecha, it split off into a thousand smaller, arrow-like beams, each of which directed itself towards the robotic center.

_**"Well, ya know what dat means, guys!"**_ Meowth cried.

_**"Yep,"**_ Jessie and James both replied with defeat. _**"The obligatory blast-off."**_

Split-seconds later, the beams hit the mecha, causing it to explode into a million little pieces. Out from the cloud of gray smoke came the Team Rocket trio, who were barreling through the air at freakish speeds. They passed the Moon's direct line of sight, just like a scene from some classic alien movie.

"AW, DRAT!" James cried, loud enough for Ash, Serena, and the others. "PRECIOUS MONEY WASTED! IT'S NOT FAIR!"

"OHHHHH, YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT, TWERPS!" Jessie yelled. "AND I MEAN IT LITERALLY!"

"WOOOOOBUFFET!" Wobbuffet added.

"HOW'S THE WEDDING SOUND?!" hollered Serena.

"SOUNDS GOOD!" Meowth replied. "AS LONG AS DA FIVE-STAR FOOD IS FREE!"

"CONSIDER IT DONE!"

"HOORAY AND MAZEL TOV!" the trio cried simultaneously while joining hands.

"ALRIGHT THEN, SEE YOU GUYS TOMORROW!" called Ash.

"SEE YOU TOMORROW, TWERPS! WE'RE BLASTING OFF **AGAIN**!"

With that, the trio was gone in a faint, distant sparkle of light. Once the threat was over, Serena's relatives looked at one another in confusion.

"That was..._weird_..." Tate concluded.

"W-Well, it doesn't matter!" Emilia replied, raising her Luxury Ball with relief. "At least we retrieved my precious Pokémon from the clutches of those thieves!"

"Oh yeah, that's right!" Ash exclaimed. "You said there would be a special occasion for tonight that would be appropriate for these Pokémon!"

"Indeed I did!" Emilia looked at Tate, Liza, Priscilla, Hal, Linda, and Nurse Joy. "Alright, everyone! On the count of three, we're going to throw these Luxury Balls at the same time. Does everyone understand?"

"Crystal-clear, Auntie Emilia," Liza replied.

"I've got no questions," added Hal.

"Splendid!" Emilia exclaimed. "Now then..." The lady cocked her hand backward. "One...two..._three_!"

The Luxury Balls were thrown into the starry air.

"Come on out, everyone!" seven voices cried in unison.

There were seven brilliant flashes of light, and once they faded, Ash, Serena, and everyone else except Emilia gawked at the newly revealed Pokémon.

"_Those_ are the new Pokémon?" Bonnie asked with disappointment as Squishy joined her side. "Wow, what a bummer-"

She was elbowed by Clemont, who exclaimed, "Bonnie! Don't be rude!"

"What?! I'm just saying! Team Rocket sure wasted their precious time and money on a bunch of Minior! If they were here right now, which I'm sure they're not, they'd be let down hard!"

"Dedenne!" Dedenne squeaked in agreement.

However, Ash was completely enthralled by the sight. The seven Minior bounced around jubilantly on the grassy ground, each of their bodies brightly glowing a different color from within: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. As he admired the septet of Meteor Pokémon, the raven-haired Trainer couldn't help but be reminded of his time in the Alola region.

"My dear Bonnie," Emilia said, looking at the little girl with a proud smile, "these aren't just _any_ normal Minior! They are a troupe of performing Pokémon whose shows were regarded with great renown decades ago! Their original Trainer, my dearly departed friend Morgan, was their director for most of her life." She walked up to the group of Minior and patted each of their head in turn, starting with the Red Core Minior and ending with the Violet Core Minior. "And I intend to keep their performances alive."

"Wow!" Shauna cried as she knelt down and admired the Green Core Minior. "I think I've heard of these Minior before in PokéVision's History Records! It's so fascinating to see them up-close and personal!"

"I'm not too sure about that, hon," Calem replied as he crossed his arms. "These Minior don't look all that remarkable to me- ACK!"

The Trainer was quickly tackled by the Orange Core Minior, which then started nuzzling up excitedly against his already-bruised chest. Shauna started chuckling at her boyfriend's misfortune.

"What was that you were saying, Calem?" she asked in a faux-innocent voice.

"Nothing..." croaked Calem as Emilia lifted the Orange Core Minior off him.

"Alright, then!" Emilia exclaimed. "Now that you all know the identities of my new Pokémon, let's get this show started, shall we?!"

"Alright!" several voices cried simultaneously with anticipation.

* * *

Indeed, it was quite a wonderful show that Emilia put on, one that should not have been underestimated and was totally befitting of the Minior's old status as renowned performers. Using the natural light coming from their Cores, the training they received long ago, and costume accessories, the Minior spun around in the air, glittering magnificently and leaving behind trails of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet light in their wake.

Their performance was enhanced with well-timed fireworks coordinated by Emilia, Landis, and volunteers, along with the fact that the rental property was now shrouded in darkness. Ash, Serena, Clemont, Bonnie, and all the others sat on the grassy yard, watching as the Minior danced around in midair like it was natural to them. Their moves were totally in sync with one another and the fireworks, astounding the audience with the resulting light-show.

About an hour into the show, Ash felt a nudge on his shoulder. He looked beside him and saw Serena pointing her head towards the manor. Understanding what she meant, Ash stood up and walked towards the home, followed by his loving girlfriend-turned-fiancée.

Once they stealthily got inside the barely-lit room, Serena was quick to ask, "Is it true?"

"Is what true?" Ash replied, confused.

"That you're _really_ thinking about giving Scott a call very soon?"

Ash blinked. "Why would I lie about that, Serena? If it means settling down with you and starting a new future with you, then I'd gladly do it. Plus, Scott keeps calling me every other month, asking if I'm still interested in the offer. I'm sure he will give the position to me before I even finish my sentence."

"Well..." Serena hesitated for a moment. "The wedding _is_ gonna be a year away. You shouldn't rush into this-"

"But I _want_ to, Serena. How am I gonna be a good husband and father if I don't make sure our future's set in stone? And besides, you know me. If I wait, I might get second thoughts-"

"That's my _point_, Ash..." Serena clasped her fiancé's hand. "I know how much you love traveling and meeting all sorts of new Pokémon."

"Not as much as I love you, Serena."

"That's sweet, Ash, and I feel the same."

Ash smiled fondly. "I'm glad."

"Which is why I'm just, you know...a little concerned about you getting _enthusiastic_ over this. It's like I said earlier: you instantly act on your instincts and ask questions later. I don't want you to take care of these responsibilities early on and second-guess them at the last minute. This...This is also why I wanted to wait a year for our wedding. Just in case..."

Her voice trailed off, prompting Ash to ask, "Just in case what, Serena?"

"Just in case...you know...you stop...loving me- MMPH!"

She was silenced by a deep kiss from Ash. At first, she wanted to protest, but the energy and passion her fiancé put into the physical display of affection quickly enthralled the honey-blonde. As such, it didn't take long for her to surrender and reciprocate the gesture.

They remained in that position for some time, illuminated only by the Minior's light and the fireworks outside.

* * *

"Aw, don't you see?! They _do_ love each other!"

"A kiss is just a kiss. Plus, you heard what Serena said, Emilia!"

Little did Ash and Serena know they were being watched by Dawson and Emilia, who were using the cover of darkness to observe the couple from outside.

"That Ketchum boy may look like a wild one," Emilia said, "but there's something about him that tells me he will be loyal to Serena in the end." She stuck up a finger to shush the protesting Dawson. "And my intuition has always been spot-on, remember that, my dear Dawson!"

"Well, I hope you're right," replied Dawson with a stubborn pout, "for Rena's sake."

Emilia crossed her arms. "You are quite a stubborn one, Dawson. Do you not even remember how you and your wife got together in the first place?"

"Not really..." Dawson sighed and rubbed his forehead with frustration. "My memory truly _is_ not what it used to be. Just not in the way I was selling to everyone else..."

"If I can recall, you were an outsider to this family and faced a similar trial from our dear elders. During a family reunion as well! How ironic!"

"At least _I_ still had discipline!"

"_Discipline_? _You_? Back in the day?! HA! I can still recall how passionate you were when you argued with my grandfather until you collapsed like a Pokémon felled in battle! All because you were trying to-"

"Emilia, Emilia! Hush now! They've stopped kissing!"

...

...

...

...

...

"Did you just tell me, a dignified lady, to 'hush now'?" Emilia asked with crossed arms.

* * *

Indeed, Ash and Serena had parted their lips and were now looking deeply into each other's eyes. Serena could see the intense flame in her fiancé's ever-so-energetic auburn pupils, while Ash found himself captivated once again by the blue in Serena's own pupils, blue as brilliant as the clearest sea or the finest sapphire.

"Serena," Ash said, "after all we've been through together...all the ups and downs, the highs and lows, all the battles and Showcases and the like...I will never, _ever_ stop loving you. If something happened to you, something so terrible...I don't know what I'd do with my life. So please..."

He held her hands tightly, but not so tight that it hurt, just right. Serena always loved that sort of touch from him.

"Don't doubt me, and don't doubt yourself. ...Don't doubt us. Give us a chance, just like you have always done, and I can assure you, we'll make it through together."

Serena lowered her head and smiled. "You're right," she replied. "I'm sorry. You may act on your instincts, but you never give up on them, even if you second-guess them, because you know the end result is worth it. I mean...it's your motto, after all." She raised her head. "Never give up till the end, am I right?"

Ash smiled back. "That's right."

Just then, his auburn eyes lit up, and he reached into his pocket. Serena's expression turned flat.

"Okay, Ash," she said. "If you're proposing to me again, I-"

"No, no, that's not it," interrupted Ash. He fumbled in his pocket for a little bit until he finally produced his Holo Caster. "I just wanted to take a photo of us."

"A _photo_? After all that melodrama we were spouting just a few seconds ago?"

"Not just any photo, though." Ash looked at her knowingly. "It's another one that'll help us remember."

Realizing what he meant by those cryptic words, Serena simply smiled at him. Then, Ash raised his hand and aimed the Holo Caster right at their faces. The couple got into position, and once Ash was satisfied by how they looked, he pressed one of the buttons, preserving that exact moment. Finally, Ash and Serena looked down at the Holo Caster to check how the photo turned out.

Once they saw the fruits of their labor, Ash beamed happily at it, while Serena's eyes started to swim with tears.

"Whaddaya think, Serena?" Ash asked.

"It's..." Serena hitched her breath for a quick moment. "It's _perfect_..." She looked at him worriedly. "Do you think-?"

"It will be just fine, Serena." Ash put away the Holo Caster. "I think we're gonna remember this picture for the rest of our lives, regardless of what happens. Anyway..." He looked out of the door. "It looks like the Minior show's about to come to a close."

"Oh, that's right! I forgot about it!" Serena took Ash's hand. "Come on, I don't wanna miss the ending!"

The couple burst out of the manor, just in time to see Dawson and Emilia pretending like they were watching the Minior show this entire time.

"What a magnificent sight, isn't it, my dear Dawson?" the lady asked.

"Indeed it is, my dear Emilia," replied the gentleman.

"Okay, you guys," Ash deadpanned. "You can drop the act. I know you were listening in."

Dawson grimaced, while Emilia responded, "Oh, Ash! For a restless man, you sure can be quite a romantic!"

"Well, of course!" Serena replied while hugging his arm. "He's my fiancé, after all." She then shot a deadly, bone-chilling look at Dawson's direction. "Regardless of what some people may think."

Dawson did not but stubbornly pout and look away. Realizing he had nothing else to say about their relationship, Serena led Ash into the backyard and joined all of her relatives as the Minior show reached its final moments.

"Hey, Ash, Serena!" Clemont called upon noticing their arrival. "Where were you guys?!"

"Just talking about some things," Ash replied. He gave Clemont an ambiguous glance that the inventor seemed to read.

"I bet you guys were _making out_..." Bonnie crooned.

"Making out, huh?" Shauna said aloud. "If only Miette were here to see that-"

"MIETTE WILL BEAR NO WITNESS TO SUCH A THING!" Serena screeched, her voice cracking from her embarrassment.

"Ah, come on, cuz," Calem replied slyly. "What's wrong with inviting more of your friends over for this occasion-?"

"BECAUSE MIETTE IS MIETTE, CALEM! DON'T YOU GIVE ME THAT FACE! DON'T YOU DARE, OR I'LL HAVE DELPHOX BURN YOU FROM THE INSIDE-OUT!"

"_Ewwwww_!" Faith and Joy cried, their tongues sticking out in their disgust. "You were _making out_ with Ashy?!"

"Why'd you do that, Serena?!" Joy added.

"Now you got the cooties from Ashy!" Faith exclaimed.

"Oh, come on, girls," Ash replied, looking down at the twins with a friendly smile. "There's no such thing as cooties-"

"Only boys with cooties lie like that!" interrupted Joy.

"So that means you DO have the cooties!" Faith said.

"Girls, be nice," Layla piped up sternly. "Let your Cousin Serena have all the fun she wants with Ash. After all, he's going to be your cousin too someday-"

"But we won't be able to play with Serena anymore!" Joy cried, her eyes shimmering with tears.

"Well," replied Serena, thinking off the top of her head, "if I marry Ashy and keep making out with him, then the Swanna will know how much we love each other and deliver you two lots and lots of girl cousins for you to play with!"

Faith and Joy looked at one another, struggling to comprehend two innocent, childhood beliefs clashing together.

"Well..." Faith said, her mind reeling.

"If you put it _that way_..." completed Joy.

"Just be sure to give me at least _one_ grandchild that'll enjoy Rhyhorn racing," Grace suddenly said. "Rhyhorn racing is in our blood, Serena! It's my duty to make sure our legacy is passed on somehow!"

"Great, Mom," Serena replied sarcastically. "You just ensured your grandchildren will never grow up with a grandmother in their lives."

The former jockey just rolled her eyes. "Don't worry. I'll just have Meyer snatch them from you with his Blaziken."

"Say what now?" Meyer asked, his attention pulled from the Minior show.

"Oh, dear," Moose said, shaking his head while he patted Layla's shoulder. "Please don't be that way to our children when they're older."

"Guys, be quiet!" Tate whispered, his eyes still glued to the starry sky.

"I think the show's about to end!" added Liza.

Ash, Pikachu, Serena, Clemont, Bonnie, Dedenne, Squishy, Shauna, Calem, Grace, Meyer, Layla, Moose, Faith, Joy, Tate, and Liza all watched together as the Minior septet stopped flying around and hovered in midair. Right away, their bodies flashed brightly and brilliantly in shades of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. At exactly the same time, fireworks exploded, showering the air with similar, sparkling shades of color. The entire backyard burst with thunderous applause, with Ash's group clapping the loudest.

* * *

"_Wooooow_... Look at _dat_..."

Jessie, James, and Meowth were hanging for dear life on a tree branch when they saw the Minior show commence from a moderate distance away. By the time it was finished, the three had recovered from their precarious situation and were all now sitting on the branch.

"Now _that's_ what I call..." began James.

"A real blast!" completed Jessie.

There was a familiar pop, followed by Wobbuffet landing expertly on the tree branch.

"WOOOOOBBUFFEEEEET!"

A split-second later, the trio heard the branch creaking dangerously from Wobbuffet's extra weight. They cried out in fear and held onto each other while awaiting the inevitable...

...

...

...

...

...

But the branch didn't break.

"Phew!" Jessie and James wheezed out.

"Dat was clo-" Meowth began.

Never mind. The branch broke.

"AAAAAGGGGGHHHHH! TEAM ROCKET'S BLAST-"

They were cut off by the loud, painful landing.

* * *

As the last of the combined light from the Minior and the fireworks subsided in the night sky, Ash and Serena glanced at one another and gave each other the fondest and most loving of smiles. Then, they refocused on the sky, just in time to see the seven Minior crying out in jubilation while the unimpeded Moon shone brightly upon them.

It didn't matter what the future had in store for them, for they knew this much.

Never give up till the end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, without further ado, this chapter marks the end of "Serena's Family Reunion"! HOORAY!
> 
> I know I kind of wrapped up the conflict between Ash and Dawson a little too quickly, but hey, if I pressed on further, the story would've been longer than three chapters and I did not want that. Plus, we should all remember Dawson was in the exact same position as Ash long ago, and look at how that turned out! I think Ash will be fine even with Dawson and his reservations about Ash's worthiness as Serena's boyfriend-turned-fiancé. So yeah, all's well that ends well!
> 
> A little tidbit of trivia before I proceed with the reviews: I was thinking about including some RocketShipping into this but I gave up on it when it became clear the chapter would be way too long because of it. You saw some remnants of that lil' subplot with Jessie's "All is fair in love and war" reference and James's quip about money. Maybe I should introduce that in "The Way We Will Be" proper?
> 
> TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. UNTIL NEXT TIME!


End file.
